Staff Reporter
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Sunday said that it would disburse an amount of Tk 450 crore its under Financial Sector Project for the Development of SME (FSPDSME) among local level entrepreneurs of Bangladesh. The JICA announcement came to local entrepreneurs at the launching of “Business Edge Training Program” for the Small and Medium Sized Entrepreneurs by International Finance Corporation (IFC) in collaboration with JICA at a city hotel.
Hiroyuki Tomita, senior representative of JICA said, JICA wants to work as a facilitator of SME sector in Bangladesh and that SME sector is more productive.
JICA is already thinking to invest in different potential sector of Bangladesh, he also added.
Regional manager of IFC Arsanal Alfred Ni said IFC in collaboration with JICA is going to organise a ‘Business Edge Training Program’ for 500 SME Entrepreneurs across the country from January 14 through March 15.
Business Edge, an innovation of IFC, is a world-class proprietary training solution designed to improve management capacity and business performance of the SME Entrepreneurs around the world, said Arsenal.
Sukumal Sinha Chowdhury, general manager, SME and Special Programs Division of Bangladesh Bank said the 2-month training program will focus on the preparation of business plan encompassing marketing, finance, production and financial management by the SMEs.
Business Edge Trainers of IFC and Bangladesh Bank officials will conduct the courses with special emphasis on the ongoing JICA financed project for the SMEs under Bangladesh Bank, said he.
A total of 20 training courses will be conducted in Dhaka, Chittagong, Comilla, Gazipur, Mymensingh, Cox Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban, Noakhali, Narayanganj, Sylhet, Rangpur, Bogra, Naogaon, Rajshahi, Pabna, Faridpur, Jessore, Khulna and Barisal.
The central bank general manager said entrepreneurs participating in these training programmes will not only be benefited from the programme, but also can take the advantage of being linked up with the commercial banks and NBFIs under JICA assistance.
Chowdhury identified lack of information and inadequate SME knowledge as one of the prominent hindrances in flourishing root level entrepreneurship. “Our women entrepreneurs are mainly located in big cities, so, it is essential to promote the root level entrepreneurship,” he said.
