Bangladesh Bank (BB) and the Palli Karma-Sahayak
Foundation (PKSF) today signed an agreement involving Taka 5,000 crore to
accelerate economic activities at the grassroots level and create sustainable
employment through increased financing for micro-enterprises.
The agreement was signed at BB headquarters by Naushad Mostafa, director of
the SME and Special Programmes Department of Bangladesh Bank, and PKSF
Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader of their respective sides.
BB Deputy Governors Dr Md Kabir Ahmed and Md Anisur Rahman and Director Md
Zobdul Islam, among other officials of the SME and Special Programmes
Department, were present at the signing ceremony.
Senior officials of PKSF, including its Deputy Managing Director and General
Manager, also attended the event.
Bangladesh Bank announced the Taka 5,000-crore special incentive fund on May
23 for implementing specialised programmes through PKSF aimed at accelerating
employment generation in the country.
The fund will focus on creating new entrepreneurs among rural and
marginalised people, empowering women and young entrepreneurs, strengthening
the rural economy, expanding existing small businesses and developing
enterprises linked to forward and backward value chains.
The programme will be implemented through three major components–providing
financial services, developing cluster-based value chains and enhancing
entrepreneurs’ skills.
PKSF will work to develop promising business clusters across different
regions of the country with a target of creating two lakh jobs in the micro-
enterprise sector.
To meet growing grassroots demand and ensure optimal utilisation of the
funds, the incentive fund will be operated as a revolving fund.
This will ensure a continuous flow of financing and help transform the
country’s micro-enterprise sector into a major driver of inclusive growth.
