The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Dr Jean-Jacques Lauture, Counsellor and Head of Governance, Economic Cooperation and Education Section of the European Commission, said micro and small enterprises can help provide new employment, income opportunities and also alleviate poverty in the country.

Some 6,000 poor and disadvantaged workers would get benefit of the project for Sustainable Livelihood for Poor Producers (SLIPP) in Mymensingh and Netrokona districts, he said.

It will create business-enabling environment for marginal producers, micro and small enterprise, strengthen their capacity and develop grassroots producers associations, he added.

Employment and income opportunities of poor and disadvantaged communities will increase, which will ensure their sustainable livelihood, he remaeked.

Dr Lauture said this as chief guest at the inauguration of the workshop on 'Sustainable Livelihoods for Poor Producers in Mymensingh and Netrokona' jointly organised by Traidcraft Exchange and Development Wheel (DEW) at Spectra Convention Centre in the city yesterday.

Maveen Pereira, Programme Manager of the South Asian Region of Traidcraft Exchange UK, Shah Abdus Salam, Executive Director of DEW, MA Rafiq Sarkar, Project Coordinator, among others, spoke on the occasion.

Dr Lauture said, "The project will benefit some of the poorest communities of two districts, who have limited employment opportunities and productive assets. They mostly depend on seasonal, poorly paid and exploitative works. Even those who own productive assets do not get much benefit out it."

Marginal producers and micro and small enterprises face a variety of business problems including crop seasonality, lack of infrastructure, entrepreneurship, market information, appropriate technology and unavailability of quality business services. They also operate in exploitive market mechanism that deprives them from getting fair price of their products. As a result, they remain trapped in poverty, and become increasingly marginalised. But micro and small enterprises can play a vital role in providing new employment and income opportunities, which will alleviate poverty, speakers said.

The five-year project will conclude in March 2012. Local producer associations, who will help to negotiate, lobby, advocate and encourage a participatory approach in marketing and local NGOs who intent to provide business services and assist in developing producer associations will work in the project.