SEDF launches banking survey report on SME market in Bangladesh
With a view to offering insights into the characteristics and behaviours of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh, SouthAsia Enterprise Development Facility (SEDF) launched a publication on 'SME Market Reports' on Saturday in Dhaka, says a press release. SEDF is a multi-donor funded initiative managed by International Finance Corporation of World Bank Group, established to promote growth of private SMEs in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Northeast India. Lack of credible information on SMEs is a major obstacle for financial institutions (FIs) to funding the SMEs. To bridge this existing information gap, SEDF initiated a comprehensive project to improve the understanding of the issues of SME financing from the bankers' perspective, the release added. The report compiled a large volume of data about key features, financing needs and financing sources of 14 SME segments (including women-led enterprises). The report is expected to assist Fls in formulating a SME strategy as well as facilitate SME banking. Fls may use this manual as a tool to improve management and operational capability at three main levels-- creation of specialised SME banking departments and related SME strategy, development of SME training programmes, and development of an overall transaction management approach to SME banking.
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