Corruption has become a norm in the day-to-day conduct of small and medium enterprises in Bangladesh. If anyone dares to speak out against corruption, they would be put at a competitive disadvantage and risk retaliation. SME owners of Mymensingh have to face bitter experiences of corruption, even though they try to fight against it wherever they can and in their own ways.Legal eforms in creating trade license and incentivising SME loans will fix crucial issues in the SME sector. To advocate for forming a united anti-corruption platform, a united voice is required, claim SME owners of Mymensingh.
The SME owners raised these concerns in a regional consultation organized by the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS) in Mymensingh. The event was organized in collaboration with the Centre for International Private Enterprises (CIPE), a Washington-based organization, in the ASPADA Training Academy on September 4, 2022, to analyze the perception of corruption among the local entrepreneurs and the possibility of initiating a non-political anti-corruption
platform. The Executive Director of CGS, Mr. Zillur Rahman, Program Director Mr. Subir Das, and Research Associate Mr. Abdullah Al Zafori of CGS were also present at the event.
During the consultation, SME entrepreneurs lamented how they have become adjusted to corruption. According to them, corruption has become almost essential for small businesses to survive. Now people are afraid to tell the truth and stop corruption as they fear the consequences. There are too many examples of people being ostracized for speaking out against corruption, according to the participants.
News Courtesy:
https://dailyasianage.com/news/292882/cgs-meets-sme-owners-in-mymensingh
