SMEs entrepreneurs on Saturday urged the government to provide incentives and low cost loans on easy terms to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and to help the economy recover. They made the call at the 14th annual general meeting of the organization held virtually on the day, where Salauddin Mahmud, additional industries secretary, presided over the event. Md Safiqul Islam, managing director of SME Foundation, said they were planning to expand its online-based program to help entrepreneurs amid the pandemic. He also remarked that in fiscal year 2018-19, about 10,498 entrepreneurs benefited from the various activities of SME Foundation related to product marketing, skill development and market expansion at both home and abroad. In welcoming speech, Safiqul also mentioned that 308 small and medium entrepreneurs participated in the 7th National SME Products Fair where they sold products worth Tk5.07 crore and received order for various products worth Tk9.06 crore. “The SME Foundation plans to expand the fair in 32 districts of the country this year, was 28 districts in the previous edition,” he added. During the AGM, final respects were also paid to SME Foundation Chairperson KM Habib Ullah, who passed away in June 17 from cardiac arrest.
