SME Development in Bangladesh

Traidcraft International: Fighting Poverty Through Trade

2005-04-24T12:52:00.001+06:00

It is a DFID-funded volunteer NGO devoted to end poverty. To fight poverty, they have taken international trade as a major instrument. Their site has online store for handicrafts products. This program is a MSME (Micro-, Small-, and Medium-sized Enterprise) facilitation, poverty alleviation, and export expansion program.

SEDF - KNOWLEDGE CENTER

2005-04-24T12:11:00.000+06:00

Is a joint cooperative knowledge centre for the SMEs moderated by FBCCI and SEDF. Located in Dhaka & Chittagong. It is also strogly affiliated by South Asian SME Toolkit of World Bank. The centre also maintains library & information centre in FBCCI premises.

Virtual Market - VM Bangladesh

2005-04-24T12:05:00.000+06:00

A GTZ program implemented for Bangladeshi companies/SMEs. It is a database and communication portal and software for Bangladeshi companies and SMEs. The software can provide marketing, financial, HR, and other related solutions.

It has a nice Flash Interface to search for some authenticated SMEs in Bangladesh.

Asif Anwar, SME Consultant (Trade & E-Commerce)

2005-03-13T16:12:00.000+06:00

He is currently involved with various business development projects in SRG Bangladesh Limited. He is also involved with "Traidcraft International: Fighting Poverty through Trade" to provide trade facilitation for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Bangladesh. He was the trade and investment facilitator for Global Trade & Technology Network (GTN) Bangladesh, which was involved with facilitation of Bangladeshi SMEs for trade, e-commerce, and B2B solution and also facilitate technology transfer from the USA. He has a quite a lot of publications regarding directories for export expansion.

And frankly speaking, that's me!

Foundation for SME Development Activities

2005-02-23T10:17:00.000+06:00

Foundation for SME Development Activities

Export Promotion Bureau (EPB)

2005-02-23T10:14:00.000+06:00

Promoting development of SME:Bangladesh perspective

Document from IFC on Bangladeshi SME

2005-02-23T10:13:00.000+06:00

Business Enabling Environment

News: ADB to Help Foster Development of SME Sector in Bangladesh

2005-02-23T10:08:00.000+06:00

ADB to Help Foster Development of SME Sector in Bangladesh - ADB.org

An Overview of Current Status: DR. MOMTAZ UDDIN AHMED

2005-02-23T10:06:00.000+06:00

IRIS Center

2005-02-23T10:03:00.000+06:00

IRIS Center

JOBS-IRIS

2005-02-23T10:01:00.000+06:00

Constraints to SME Development in Bangladesh

Sippo

2005-02-23T09:50:00.000+06:00

Sippo

KATALYST of Swisscontact

2005-02-23T09:45:00.000+06:00

Swisscontact

SME Toolkit for Bangladesh

2005-02-23T09:41:00.000+06:00

SME Toolkit for Bangladesh at SEDF's website.

SEDF - SOUTHASIA ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT FACILITY

2005-02-23T09:39:00.000+06:00

SEDF - SOUTHASIA ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT FACILITY

GTZ. Bangladesh

2005-02-23T09:37:00.000+06:00

GTZ. Bangladesh

USAID's Global Trade and Technology Network (GTN)

2005-02-23T09:31:00.000+06:00

The abreviation of Global Trade & Technology Network should have been GTTN or GT&TN. The reason it is named GTN, because it was previously named Global Technology Network (GTN). The objective of GTN was to transfer US technology from the USA to the LDCs and Developing Countries.

But, after a study, the consultants foud that, if GTN can help the LDCs and Developing Countries for export and import then the demand for US technology can be enhanced. It is kind of a after sales service, where the technolgy providers also tell where you can market your product made by their machines. Believing this fact, The Global Technology Network (GTN) turned into Global Trade & Technology Network. But, the brand name GTN was so popular that, the authorities could not change the abreviation.

US-GTN was previously managed by the fund of USAID. Recently, from the start of 2005, USAID stopped funding. But, GTN did not stop functioning. It is currently manage by its successor - International Business Linkages (IBL). I was involved with GTN for a year and registered about 250 companies myself. The Bangladeshi database in GTN is not quite good in terms of quantity. However, the directory is one of the best quality directory in Bangladesh. To approve each SME in this directory. I had to visit each company and assess 3 things:

1. Their legal existance through trade license, VAT certificate, TIN Certificate, Certificate of Incorporation,
2. Their physical existance through visiting their premises
3. Their capability to either import or export through Export or Import Certificates

To utilize the directory, you need to be a member of GTN. Currently, GTN is not limited to LDCs or Developing Countries. They constantly increasing the number of countries. They also have affiliates in several countries, through whom they can offer business linking services offline and beyond the GTN platform.

The directory is probably one of the best directories in the world for Jute Fiber Exporters, low cost apparel exporters, and handicrafts exporters from Bangladesh. However, in my career life with GTN, I found no harmony or traceable trend in Importers of Bangladesh.