The New Nation - Internet Edition

BUSINESS REPORT

Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation held its second Annual General Meeting (AGM) yesterday at BIAM Foundation auditorium, with Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, Chairperson of SME Foundation in the chair.

Bangladesh Enterprise Institute President Farooq Sobhan and Women Entrepreneurs Association chairperson Nasreen Awal Minto were present at the AGM.

Earlier, the government nominated Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury, former Adviser to Caretaker Government, as the Chairperson of the Foundation.

Dr Md Nurul Amin, Secretary Ministry of Industries, was present at the meeting as special guest, who is also the general body member of SME Foundation.

Dr Mohammad Ayub Miah, Managing Director of SME Foundation presented the annual progress report of SME Foundation.

He noted that the government had agreed to offer special incentives to SMEs in the upcoming National Budget 2008-2009. About 30 members of the General Body of the Foundation, representing different trade bodies, government organisations, and educational institutions were present at the meeting.

The AGM elected three new members for the Board of Directors of SME Foundation for the next year. They are Khaled Shams, former Deputy Managing Director of Grameen Bank, Prof Momtaj Uddin Ahmed of Economics Department of Dhaka University and Ms Parveen Mahmud, Deputy Managing Director of PKSF.

It is noted that SME Foundation is created by government and run by private management as non-profit company working as a facilitator for the expansion of SMEs in Bangladesh.