Removing barriers to business loans stressed

Rokia Afzal Rahman, president of Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs, speaks at a seminar styled 'Pathfinders 2007: Women in SMEs' in Chittagong yesterday.Photo: STAR

To remove barriers to business loans for women entrepreneurs, the traditional mindsets of such entrepreneurs and bankers should be changed, speakers observed at a seminar here yesterday.
They said motivational programmes are needed to make women aware about financial procedures, and to help bankers finance the small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Chittagong Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries (CWCCI), Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs (BFWE) and SouthAsia Enterprise Development Facility (SEDF), a multi-donors funded facility managed by International Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank Group, jointly organised the daylong seminar 'Pathfinders 2007: Women in SMEs' at the Ichhamati hall of Hotel Agrabad.
BFWE President and former adviser to the caretaker government Rokia Afzal Rahman inaugurated it as chief guest.
Coordinator, Sustainability of SEDF Knowledge Centre Afifa Raihana and IFC-SEDF Programme Officer Irina Niederberger and CWCCI Vice President Khaleda Awal also addressed the seminar.
Rokia Rahman said keeping the women, who constitute half of the country's total population, aside from any economic process, national economic development is quite impossible.
"Women in this country have already proved their capability of establishing small and medium enterprises through determination and hard working," she said.
Speakers pointed out that most of the women entrepreneurs have no idea about getting bank loans for their business while bankers also show less interest in such activities initiated by women entrepreneurs.
Later, an awareness programme titled 'Sharing Experience and Counselling for Development' was held.
The organisers said that they arranged such programmes at Bogra and would arrange two more programmes at Jessore and Dhaka.