NextBillion - A WDI Publication

Bangladesh’s banking sector has been going through massive development due to favourable policy of the government. They already have a significant number of private sector banks and these banks now offer short to long term packages for their respective clients. For their successful performance, not necessarily only the businessmen but also housewives and potential entrepreneurs nowadays have access to banking services. There are many women who have got success in small bu...

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Financial Express (Bangladesh) (link opens in a new window)

Kenya’s small and medium-sized businesses can tap into a Sh1.7 billion regional fund launched by a group of local and international companies.It will be made available in loans and business development assistance through managerial training.Dubbed ’Aspire Kenya’, the initiative has been jointly established by GroFin, an African specialist business developer and financier, and Shell Foundation. Small Ugandan and Tanzanian firms will also benefit. GroFin will co-ordinate ...

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BiD Network (link opens in a new window)

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have played an important role in the development of China’

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have played an important role in the development of China’s economy. As of the end of 2004, SMEs accounted for 58.5 percent of the country’s GDP (gross domestic product), 66 percent of patent rights and 74 percent of technology innovation, according to Li Jun, vice-president of the Export-Import Bank of China. They developed 82 percent of the country’s new products and made up 68.3 and 69 percent of total exports and imports respectively.

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CRIEnglish.com (link opens in a new window)

SINCE 1994, the South African government has invested significant political capital in the support of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This is because SMEs are recognised as key contributors to both growth and employment, contributing 30% of the country?s gross domestic product and almost 70% of private-sector employment. Government intervention in this sector has included the provision of wholesale finance and nonfinancial support services. The 2005 and 2006 budgets have also given su...

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Business Day (link opens in a new window)

The East African Development Bank is to start financing development programmes in partnership with the private sector.? At the bank’s governing council meeting held recently in Kampala, proposals to develop a variety of development finance products were unveiled. The East African Community member states have endorsed the bank board’s proposal to provide additional capital to strengthen its equity base and fund expanded operations. The African Development Bank (ADB), which is a shar...

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The East African (link opens in a new window)

SME Bank has come up with five loan schemes specially designed to help different types of small- and medium- scale enterprises flourish in the years ahead, it was announced yesterday. With the exception of SME Professional which was launched in December last year, the new loans are SME Start-Up, SME Procurement, SME Franchise and SME Global. Managing director Datuk Azmi Abdullah said the five products were a result of extensive research by the bank to ensure that they were dif...

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Business Times Malaysia (link opens in a new window)

BANGALORE, India, May 23 ? The world’s largest chip maker, Intel, said Tuesday that it would introduce a low-cost computer in India, one of the world’s fastest-growing technology markets, in an effort to gain greater market share. Intel announced the Indian computer project as part of a wider global strategy to promote the use of technology in emerging markets. The computer will have a processor, chip set and software designed by Intel and will be produced by Indian hardware m...

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New York Times (link opens in a new window)

Sharon Davis Top African political and business leaders meet in South Africa for the World Economic Forum on Africa to discuss steps to sustain the current economic growth on the continent and launch a public-private partnership that aims to address the root causes of poverty. More than 700 participants are expected at the forum, which runs from 31 May to 2 June in Cape Town under the theme Going for Growth&q...

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Southern Africa News Features (link opens in a new window)