Women SME expo opens in Ctg
The country's first-ever women SME exposition began at Railway Pologround in the port city yesterday.
Industries Adviser Geeteara Safiya Choudhury inaugurated the Women SME Expo Bangladesh 2007 through a colourful function.
Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CWCCI) and SME Foundation under the Ministry of Industries are jointly organising the fair.
The inaugural function was addressed, among others, by Commerce Secretary Feroz Ahmed, BGMEA First Vice President MA Salam, Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong Ashraf Shamim, Colonel GS of DGFI, Chittagong Colonel Masud Hossain, CCCI directors Mahbub Ali and Ershadullah and CWCCI Vice President Khaleda Awal.
CWCCI President Monwara Hakim Ali presided over the function attended by high civil and military officials, trade body leaders and a large number of women entrepreneurs.
Geeteara said the country's socio-economic development could not be possible without involving the women, who share about 60 percent of the population.
Referring to the significant contribution of women to the country's industry, education, healthcare, administration and ICT sectors, the adviser said time has come to utilise the latent talents, efficiency and capability of womenfolk for the desired progress of the country.
She said the government has given utmost priority to the promotion and expansion of SMEs in the country as it has been considered as engine of the economy.
Pointing out the 'rigid attitude' in providing loans to the women entrepreneurs, Geeteara called upon the authorities of banks and other financial institutions to provide long-term soft loans to the women involved in trade and businesses so that they could achieve economic self-reliance in all spheres of life.
Reminding the women entrepreneurs about tougher competition in the domestic and global economy, she called upon the entrepreneurs to improve quality of Bangladeshi goods and bring changes in design according to taste and choice of the buyers for survival in the world market.
Around 500 stalls have been set up at the fair for showcasing SME products, particularly those manufactured by the women-run small and medium industries.
An SME help centre and a 'One Stop Business Information Centre' to provide information about market prospects of SMEs for interested women entrepreneurs were set up at the fair venue.
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