Call for women-friendly SME in South Asia

Industries minister Amir Hossain Amu on Thursday said integrated and women-friendly small and medium enterprises would play a vital role in ensuring sustainable growth and prosperity in the South Asian region including Bangladesh.
He said the number of women was on rise day by day in trade and industrialisation in South Asia.
‘The role of women, especially in the SME sector, is highly appreciable as they are making a commendable contribution to the regional economy,’ the industries minister said while addressing as the chief guest the inaugural session of ‘South Asian Countries SME Summit 2016’ at a hotel in Dhaka.
South Asian Countries SME Forum and National Association of Small and Cottage Industries of Bangladesh jointly organised the summit in association of the industries ministry and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
At the summit, 15 SME enterprises got reward for their contribution in the respective fields.
The organisations are BRB Group of Kushtia, Nitol-Niloy Group of Dhaka, Agro Resource Company Limited of Saidpur, Knit Concern Group of Narayanganj, Heidelberg Cement Bangladesh Limited of Dhaka, Dream Holiday Park of Narsingdi, Diamond World of Dhaka, Alauddin Textile Mills of Dhaka, Bengal Craft of Dhaka, Madina Metal Industries of Jessore, Prince Chemical Company Limited of Pabna, MS Shanti Enterprise of Kishoreganj, Takwa Marketing Network of Mymensingh, Parmita Women World of Tangail and Ashika Manabik Unnayan Kendra of Rangamati.
Amu handed over the awards to the 15 SME entrepreneurs.
The industries minister said the South Asian region has a big market of 1.7 billion population with a regional trade being merely at five per cent against different challenges like extreme poverty, illiteracy, diseases and social instability.
That is why, Amu said, the South Asian Countries should take up concerted initiatives to ensure a sustainable SME sector through accelerating the regional trade among the countries in this part of the world.
He expressed his firm belief that the active cooperation among the South Asian Countries in the light of the SME Summit-2016 would be a greater opportunity for all in further strengthening the bilateral and multilateral investment in the field of SME development in the region.
‘This summit is surely a milestone to enhance the opportunities for sharing knowledge, expertise and best practices as well as technology transfer among the participating countries,’ he added.
South Asian Countries SME Forum chairman Mirza Nurul Ghani Shovon and NASCIB advisory committee chairman  Momtaz Uddin Ahmed spoke, among others, on the occasion.
Mirza Nurul said, ‘This is the high time to develop and flourish our initiative by working together for the regional small and medium sector, leading to further improving the living standard in the region.’

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