Staff Correspondent

Chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed asked banks and financial institutions Wednesday to encourage more women entrepreneurs into the market.

"Women entrepreneurs are as efficient, talented and creative as men," the chief adviser told a conference organised by the Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation at the Hotel Sonargaon in the city.

Fakhruddin termed the dearth of women entrepreneurs receiving loans as "unfortunate".

"Half of the population is female. It is impossible to think of national development while ignoring this vast manpower resource." "Policy makers have to understand the hurdles women face in doing any kind of business," he said.

The main problems women entrepreneurs face are providing deposits to secure bank loans, high interest rates and ingrained cultural prejudices, said the adviser.

The chief adviser suggested increasing the amount of loans available to women, establishing special SME desks in banks and creating a more woman friendly business environment. He also recommended a new SME friendly tax as well as fixing a new structure for duty and vat.

"SME's will only flourish when a strong loan system is established with the assistance of banks and financial institutions," Fakhruddin said. "We may differ in approach, but the desired outcome is the same: national development and achieving self sufficiency at all levels," he said.

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