The National SME Product Fair will kick off today (Thursday) to promote small and medium entrepreneurs' products which are manufactured using local raw materials, reports UNB.
The SME Foundation is organising the 10-day fair with the sponsorship of the Ministry of Industries at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC), in the city.
Minister of industries Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun will open the 10th SME Product Fair as chief guest at 10:30 am at the fair venue.
State Minister Kamal Ahmed Mojumder, Secretary Zakia Sultana, FBCCI president Md Jasim Uddin, SME Foundation's Chairperson Professor Dr. Md. Masudur Rahman will also be present at the opening program.
Around 325 entrepreneurs will set up 350 stalls to display their products.
"All foreign-made products are prohibited at the fair this year to encourage domestic industries," said Dr. Md. Mafizur Rahman, Managing Director of SME Foundation.
He said, "This year, 60 per cent of the total stalls are by women entrepreneurs, as we are giving priorities to women in small and medium industries sector."
Most of the 130 entrepreneurs participating in the event are from the apparel sector. Apart from this, 45 are food/agricultural processing product producer, 38 in the handicraft industry, 36 companies in the leather goods sector, 35 in jute products, 8 companies in ICT products and services, 6 companies in light engineering products, 3 companies of electrical and electronics sector, 5 companies involved with plastic products are participating in the fair.
Besides the 10-day fair, 5 seminars on easy financing for SME entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs, technology, ICT and cluster-based product development will be organised at the event premises.
