RAJSHAHI, Feb 11, 2019 (BSS)- Speakers at a meeting here urged the
district level officials of Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries
Corporation (BSCIC) to infuse dynamism into its expansion activities for
employment generation.
They mentioned that the BSCIC industrial estates have a pivotal role
towards promoting and flourishing the sectors of small and medium enterprise
(SME), cottage, handlooms and handicrafts.
Utmost emphasis should be given on the best uses of existing industrial
plots for the purpose of agro-processing and boosting other value-chain.
They made this observation while addressing the half-yearly evaluation
and review meeting on management information service issues of BSCIC at its
regional meeting here yesterday.
BSCIC Chairman Mijanur Rahman addressed the meeting as chief guest while
its Director Zibon Kumar Chowdhury and General Manager Majharul Islam spoke
as special guests with Regional Director Tamanna Rahman in the chair.
Chief Guest Mijanur Rahman stressed the need for brining dynamism into
the activities of the region’s industrial assistance centres, industrial
estates and skill development training centres so that people of the region
can derive total benefits of those.
Tamanna Rahman told the meeting that the industrial estate of Rajshahi
BSCIC has generated employment opportunities for more than 14,825 people in
various trades in the last 10 years.
The people got the jobs in various fields like enterprise development,
skill development and training, industry ownership transfer and establishment
of new industries.
“We are going to create jobs for more 15,000 people in next five years,”
she added. In the last 10 years, 3,530 peopled were imparted entrepreneurship
development and skill development training on entrepreneurship development
and employment generation.
“We have extended support to 1,250 entrepreneurs in getting industrial
loans of Taka 76.96 crore,” Rahman said adding that registration was given to
275 industries.
Around Taka 26.84 crore was invested in 45 industries through ownership
transfer.
After getting training, many women have got the chance of attaining
self-reliance together with employing their near and dear ones in income-
generating activities through operating boutique houses in the city and its
outskirts.
Some of the beneficiaries termed the venture effective means of women
empowerment.
“The sick industry owners will either restart their businesses or
transfer possession of their units,” said Tamanna Rahman adding that creation
of new estates became a necessity to meet the local demand.
Most of the industrial units have become profitable over the last couple
of years as the local entrepreneurs have been showing keen interest in
restarting the sick industries and operating their business successfully
after transferring ownership.
The 325-plot BSCIC industrial estate, established in 1961 on 95.71 acres
on the city’s outskirts, has been providing electricity, water supply,
security, road and drainage facilities to the entrepreneurs for running their
business.
Several silk-clothes manufacturing units earned reputation for their
quality products. They expect that there would be no more sick industry in
the estate, the officials said.