The New Nation - Internet Edition

Local Enterprise Investment Centre (LEIC), a private sector development project managed by IDLC Finance Limited (IDLC) with contribution from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), recently propeleld the third meeting of its Steering Committee.

Md. Murshid Kuli Khan, Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank, Dr. M Kamal Uddin, Director of Institute of Appropriate Technology (IA1) of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Rokia A. Rahman, President of Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs, Deepak Adhikary, Deputy General Manager of South Asia Enterprise Development Facility (SEDF), Hossain Khaled, President of Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DeCI), Omar Farooq Khan, Senior Development Adviser of the Canadian High Commission were present at the meeting. Anis A Khan, CEO and MD of IDLC, chaired the meeting and Israt Ara Younus, Centre Director of LEIC, appraised the members of the centre's activities in the first half of 2007 of its achievement of it objectives. The steering committee members provided valuable suggestions and advice.

The objective of the centre is to facilitate longterm partnerships between local SMEs and foreign or local large companies. Such partnerships are expected to help the local SMEs in acquisition of technical know-how and best practices, as well as access to market and capital.