Joint initiatives of Bangladesh Bank and CIRDAP for Development of SMEs

Date: July 14, 2013.

Time: 11:00am. 

Venue: CIRDAP International Conference Centre, Dhaka.

Chair of today’s program Dr. Cecep Effendi, Director General, CIRDAP, Guest of Honor H.E. Mr. Iwan H.S. Wiranataatmadia, Ambassador of Indonesia, Special Guests, Mr. Md. Sabur Khan, President, Dhaka Chamber of Commerce (DCCI) and Deputy Governor, Bangladesh Bank, CEO/MDs and SME Heads of Scheduled Banks andNBFIs, Representatives from different Chambers, Ministries, SME Foundation and other organizations, Good Morning. It's my pleasure today to participate in theprogram on joint initiatives of Bangladesh Bank and CIRDAP for development of SMEs.

We take SME as the priority and we always give importance to communications and joint initiatives with different stakeholders. Within the countries we are taking lot of initiatives with different organizations like Ministries, SME Foundation, EPB, BSCIC, Chambers, Women Chambers including Banks and NBFIs. Our initiatives are now going beyond the country. We performed different programs with international organizations, donor agencies and even with different High Commissions and Embassies. For SME development, joint initiatives both nationally and internationally are very important and we are committed to continue such initiatives. Ours is an exceptional central bank which is taking a lot of field focus initiatives for the sake of  unserved and undeserved people for accelerating inclusive growth process. Financial inclusion is our motto and we are trying to achieve it through financing agriculture, micro, cottage and small enterprise activities. Due to such efforts, Bangladesh economy is now on a very strong footing despite  on-going world recession.

I am indeed pleased to know that Bangladesh Bank is going to work with CIRDAP on SME sector. I think this is a very good idea which aims at talking joint initiatives with CIRDAP for pushing SME initiatives forward regionally and globally. CIRDAP member countries are also involved in SME activities and they also feel that SME initiatives are crucially important for hastening inclusive growth of individual country.

I feel especially enthused about all local, regional and global initiatives for SME promotion and development and believe there is ample scope for deepening mutuallybeneficial cooperation and support between SME policymakers and stakeholders of the CIRDAP member countries. I heartily congratulate CIRDAP for taking  thisinitiative.

I think it is a timely decision for both Bangladesh Bank and CIRDAP and they have signed a Memorandum of Understading (MOU) to cooperate with each other for the development of SMEs in Bangladesh. With this MOU, entrepreneurs, policymakers and other stakeholders related to SME sector of Bangladesh will be able to share and upgrade their knowledge with the counterparts of CIRDAP member countries. I hope this MOU will be effectively implemented.

I wish that both the organizations will work with dedication in different areas and develop overall SME environment for the benefit of cottage, micro, small and medium entrepreneurs. I wish the best success of today’s program with engaging, interactive deliberations.

Let me conclude here, looking forward to further deepening of relation with CIRDAP member countries. I wish success in cooperation of SME development.

Thank you all. 

The above speech is given by present governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr. Atiur Rahman.

Mosharraf: The Man behind the Boost of Man Power Export

 The present Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment, Engineer Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, has not only been able to raise the number of jobs-seeking workers going abroad but also brought about a groundbreaking change in the manpower-export system.

People have been defrauded and have returned home without a penny. They now have to spend much less through the government-to-government arrangement which ensures their jobs abroad, he said.

This government has been sending workers to 157 countries though the previous governments had sent workers to 75 countries.

The minister further said the present government has so far sent 21, 49,466 people with jobs to different countries during January 2009-March 2013 period

A total of 10,50,827 people had been sent abroad with jobs during the regime of the BNP-Jamaat alliance.

The minister spoke about the changes while talking to daily sun Tuesday on issues regarding the manpower export to different countries across the globe.

He said, “When I took over the charge of this ministry, the migration cost was Tk 70,000 for the Middle East countries and Tk 84,000 for Malaysia.”

“But a worker earlier went to Malaysia at a cost of Tk 4 lakh and to an Arab state at a cost of Tk 3 lakh through recruiting agencies.”

“I asked many workers about their migration costs, but no body dared to speak the truth in fear of recruiting agencies lest they lose their jobs abroad. But I found the anomalies and malpractice in the recruiting agencies.”

The minister also said many poor workers have come home losing their jobs abroad.

“I cancelled the licenses of 65 recruiting agencies for issuing fake visas and fined them Tk 20 for the shake of our workers.” 

The ministry’s officials and even the Prime Minister had given directives to stop the malpractice of the recruiting agencies to ease off sufferings of migrant workers.

Then I took some initiatives to send workers abroad for jobs under the state-to-state protocol. 

“I started pragmatic initiatives in sending workers abroad. Bangladesh government signed MoU with Malaysian which assured us of taking 30,000 workers gradually under the protocol without middlemen’s interference.”

For the first time in Bangladesh, those interested to do jobs in Malaysia were asked to do their registrations on online at the Union Information Centres.

The same process was adopted by the government for female workers of Bangladesh. 

The minister firmly said, “I declared the migration cost will be least for the poor workers and I am happy I finally had been able to maintain it.”

“We have trained 10,000 job-seekers for Malaysia. Around 200 people have already left for Malaysia at a cost of Tk 33,550 each.”

He further said more female workers will go to Hong Kong, Oman, Mauritius, Singapore and Arab sates by spending Tk 20,000 to Tk 30,000 each. 

“Total migration cost of each worker will be between Tk 20,000 to 50,000 for jobs in any country of the world. And I will be able to send all registered 14 lakh people to different countries as many new job markets will open within the next two months,” the minister assured.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and other gulf countries have already shown interest in taking workers from Bangladesh under the protocol.


News Link: Mosharraf makes radical change in manpower export system