Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) – The central bank of Bangladesh has attached priority to SME sector considering its increasing contribution to the economy, Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Atiur Rahman said on Saturday.

"Small and medium entrepreneurs are playing vital role in  changing the country's economy . . . one-fourth of the Gross  Domestic Product (GDP) comes from this sector," the central bank chief said while speaking at the prize distribution ceremony of BRAC Bank SME Photography Competition 2013 here.

Dr. Rahman also said SME sector's contribution to the GDP is on rise and this  sector has huge potentials to be the drive-force of the economy.

The governor said the central bank has been taking various policies and initiatives to make the country's banking sector entrepreneur-friendly and to develop women entrepreneurs.

The BB has increased the loan disbursement target for the SME sector by 20 percent to BDT 890 billion in the current fiscal year, he noted.

He said the central bank has relaxed some rules-regulations for rescheduling and restructuring of the loans for the SME sector hit hard by the political unrest in 2013.
BBN/SI/AD-01Mar14-8:24 pm (BST)