The annual small and medium enterprise (SME) fair will be held next month after a 19-month gap to help the small entrepreneurs revive their businesses mostly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The SME Foundation fixes the date of 9th National SME Fair 2021 on December 05-12 to bring all categories of entrepreneurs, financiers, and trainers for the first time under one roof targeting to provide all necessary support to help them recover their businesses.
For the first time, 10 banks, financial institutes and Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) will participate in the eight-day long fair to be opened at Bangabandhu International Convention Centre in the capital after inauguration by the prime minister virtually on December 05.
The foundation held the last SME Fair in March 2020 which was hurriedly wrapped up after the first few cases of coronavirus infections were detected in the country. The SME Foundation could also not hold the fair 2021 in its scheduled time in February/March this year due to the increase of coronavirus cases during the second wave of infection.
Officials said due to the long gap, entrepreneurs all over the country have been showing interest to participate in the fair as they could not get scope of selling their products physically during the last 19 months.
"They have missed all major festivals including Eids, Pahela Baishakh. So an enthusiasm has been created this year among most of the entrepreneurs all over the country to attend the fair," said Managing Director Mafizur Rahman.
He said this year the fair has been designed to support the sector players in all aspects so that they get confidence back in doing businesses.
Due to space constraint, the managing director said that only 325 entrepreneurs could be accommodated in the venue after selecting them considering product categories, new avenues, supporting traditional and ethnic products etc.
Regarding getting scope of stimulus package to the badly hit sector, Dr Mafizur Rahman told the FE that the fair will create the opportunity for banks and SME players to remove the information and formality related barriers during the event.
"We expect that the fair venue will create scope for them to be prepared so that after the fair necessary loan disbursement starts without delay," he added.
He said this year's fair has been designed to come out of traditional thought, and there will be capacity building efforts to hold 'international fair' in future.
The officials said 325 entrepreneurs of which 60 per cent of them are females were selected from remote and micro level of entrepreneurs, from traditional to new and diversified products.
Seminars, training for newcomers, networking, skill development in technology, understanding sector's development including cluster base product development have also been organised during the fair.
Brac Bank, Eastern Bank, Bank Asia, Janata Bank, Dhaka Bank, Mutual Bank, BSCIC, BITAC, BSTI, JDPC and BCSIR will participate in the fair.
The products to be on the display include jute, jute products, leather and leather products, handicrafts, cane products, potteries, ceramics, artificial flowers, jewelry, boutiques, food processing, Jamdani, agro processing. Besides, products from light engineering, plastic, electronic and electrical, agro machinery and IT and courier sector will also be there at the fair.
