A platform of women entrepreneurs urged the Bangladesh Bank (BB) on Thursday to allocate Tk 1.50 billion from the central bank's equity and entrepreneurship fund (EEF) for the development of women entrepreneurs.
Terming access to finance a key challenge, Women Entrepreneurs Association of Bangladesh (WEAB) also demanded collateral-free loans from banks and financial institutions at minimal interest rates for women.
The demands were made at a press conference to place the proposals for the 2019-20 fiscal budget, organised by WEAB at Pragati Insurance Bhaban in the city's Karwan Bazar, according to a press statement.
WEAB President Shahruk Rahman and its first vice-president Asfa Hossain addressed the programme chaired by WEAB founding president Nasreen Fatema Awal.
At the event, WEAB leaders said the women-led companies should be allowed in the capital market so that they can collect required capital for sustaining and expanding business.
Mentioning land scarcity as a big problem for start-ups, they called upon the government to allocate at least 25 per cent of land for the ongoing and upcoming economic zones, special economic zones and export processing zones.
WEAB recommended raising the income tax-free threshold for women to Tk 400,000 from the existing Tk300,000.
Corporate tax on the women-owned companies should be reduced to 25 per cent from 35 per cent, the women entrepreneurs wanted.
They also demanded tax and VAT exemption for the women-led businesses having yearly turnover up to Tk 5.0 million.
To encourage export from the women-led businesses, WEAB suggested 10 per cent cash incentive for women entrepreneurs.
The association also urged the government to arrange regular training programmes for women entrepreneurs so that they can learn about digital marketing and IT services to brand their products.
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