IBBL disburses Tk 18,856.15cr loan under microfinance programme

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DHAKA, Nov 03, 2017 (BSS) – The microfinance programme of the Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBBL) is getting huge response from the rural and urban poor and slum dwellers as the bank has already disbursed Taka 18,856.15 crore loans among them till August 31, 2017.

“Currently, the Rural Development Scheme (RDS) and the Urban Poor Development Scheme (UPDS) are being run through 271 branches covering 64 districts, 490 upzilas and 20,537 villages across the country along with the city corporations in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet,” an IBBL official told BSS here today.

In order to reach investment portfolio to all segments of people in the society, he said, IBBL started its RDS programme for the poor rural areas in the year 1995.

After successful operation of RDS, the senior official said, the bank introduced another microfinance scheme for the urban poor and slum dwellers in the year 2012.

“The schemes are being operated under family development approach aiming to sustainable capacity building of the beneficiaries,” he added. Since 1995, the senior official said, IBBL has extended services to 1.7 million poor families through the schemes, the existing number of whom is about 1.0 million.

“The latest rate of return against RDS and UPDS is 12.50 percent. Timely repayment is encouraged by offering a rebate of 2.5 percent. Hence, the rate after allowing rebate becomes 10 percent,” he added.

Mentioning the RDS as a prestigious programme of IBBL, he said, the goal of RDS is expressed in its slogan “Model villages are the heart of Bangladesh, Islami Bank is for developing Model villages.”

“It fulfills the goals through integrated area development approach,” he added.

To protect and safeguard the capital provided to the client, different non-financial welfare services were extended under the schemes from the year 2012 in the areas of education, training, health, relief and rehabilitation and environment, he said.

“IBBL is providing three types of training — skill development training, self-employment training and centre leader training — to the poor people for developing the living standard of underprivileged people” he added.