Help micro merchants recover from pandemic
Experts say at UNCDF conference
Initiatives should be taken now to help micro merchants recover from the pandemic, address gender participation in retail businesses and shed light on digital use cases that address both financial and non-financial needs of enterprises, experts said today.
Moreover, supply chain integration of the micro entrepreneurs with larger companies and policy initiatives towards formalisation are also a must now, they opined.
They spoke at a conference on "Leaving No Micro Merchants Behind in the Digital Era in Bangladesh" organised by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), at The Westin Dhaka.
Facilitated and moderated by the UNCDF, the one-day event was organised in collaboration with its consortium partners: DNet, Bangladesh Dokan Malik Samity and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak attended the event as the chief guest while Industries Secretary KM Ali Azam was the special guest.
The event took place to explore the emerging opportunities in the pandemic era, bring together global policymakers, academics, industry, and digital ecosystem leaders, and showcase the work and learnings gained from the Merchants Development Driving Rural Markets (MDDRM) initiative.
The UNCDF has been running the initiative since 2017 and has reached out to two million retail micro merchants in Bangladesh.
This initiative funded by the European Union is working on spurring innovation for income diversification, business growth, and economic opportunities for micro-merchants in Bangladesh.
Maria Perdomo, regional manager of digital hub for Asia and inclusive digital economies of the UNCDF, moderated the event.
Maurizio Cian, head of cooperation of the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, and Sudipto Mukherjee, resident representative of UNDP Bangladesh, were guests of honour.