The Bangladesh Dokan Byabshayi Malik Samity has demanded that small shopkeepers be formally brought under the cottage, micro, small and medium enterprise (CMSME) sector, seeking a government notification to ensure their access to institutional support.
The organisation also called for low-interest loans on easy terms and special incentives to help small traders survive the ongoing economic hardship.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the association’s president Md Nazmul Hasan Mahmud and general secretary Md Arifur Rahman made the demands. They also raised the issues in an open letter addressed to the prime minister.
The association said around seven million small shopkeepers operate across the country and play an important role in sustaining the economy, creating employment and keeping local markets running.
However, it said small traders, from the capital to remote areas, are now facing a severe crisis due to rising commodity prices, inflation, falling purchasing power, high shop rents and increased electricity and fuel costs.
A sharp decline in the number of customers has added to their difficulties, the association said.
Many small traders are now dipping into their business capital to meet daily expenses, while some are on the verge of closing their shops, it added.
The business leaders said the government has introduced low-interest loans, refinancing schemes and incentives for small industries and entrepreneurs at different times.
But small shopkeepers are being deprived of such facilities because they have yet to receive formal policy recognition as part of the CMSME or small industry sector, they said.
They argued that small traders create employment with their own capital but receive little government support.
To overcome the crisis, the association placed an eight-point set of demands, including the immediate issuance of a government notification bringing small shopkeepers under the CMSME or small industry category.
It also demanded long-term loans at low interest rates on easy terms, without excessive collateral requirements and complicated documentation.
The association further called for an end to extortion, illegal service charges and illegal occupation at markets and business establishments.
It urged the government to take measures to reduce the overall cost of running businesses, including expenses for electricity, fuel and transport.
The organisation also called for effective steps to contain inflation and increase consumers’ purchasing power, saying stronger demand was crucial for the survival of the country’s millions of small traders.