Entrepreneurs of Small and Medium Enterprises in Barishal at a discussion meeting on Thursday called for a common platform that can help them unite and stand against corruption.
Centre for Governance Studies in collaboration with the Centre for International Private Enterprises, a Washington-based organisation, hosted the event in Barisal, according to a press release.
At the event, the SME entrepreneurs discussed issues relating to a series of corruptions they face while doing business.
They said that they had to pay bribes to acquire trade licences and bank loans, and face obstructive VAT and income tax policies, lack of government stimulus, training and guidance, and above all market manipulation by large firms.
According to the discussants, corruption has become so prevalent that it appears to be normal in the process of doing business.
They complained about overly complicated paperwork required for obtaining trade licences and loans, particularly if the entrepreneur is female.https://www.newagebd.net/article/178801/index.php
They also said that the practice of paying bribes to government officials to bypass the complicated paperwork became the trend among the SMEs.
They also said that corrupt police officers as well as government inspectors regularly charged SMEs fines unless they received certain gifts and services.
CGS is a think tank based in Bangladesh conducting research and media studies on issues of good governance, corruption, human rights, democracy and development.
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