ICCB, ADB, ITC hold workshop on SME toolkit

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Bangladesh, in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Trade & Supply Chain Finance Program (TSCFP) and the International Trade Centre (ITC), recently organised a workshop in Dhaka titled "Find and Pursue the Right Standards for Your Business: A Hands-on Workshop with the SME Toolkit."

Approximately 40 participants from small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including those in the apparel, textiles, and leather industries, as well as representatives from other corporate houses, attended the session.

AK Azad, vice-president of ICC Bangladesh, inaugurated the workshop as the chief guest, according to a press release.

In his address, Azad remarked that SMEs form the backbone of any economy, playing a critical role in economic growth, development, and employment generation.

"With Bangladesh's graduation to middle-income country status in 2026, the nation will face heightened competition from global counterparts. Strengthening the SME sector will significantly enhance the efficiency and resilience of the entire supply chain," he stated.

"We must also ensure compliance and adopt sustainable practices to support continued export growth. Accordingly, this workshop has been convened to engage textile, apparel, and footwear manufacturers in the pilot testing of the ITC/ADB Sustainability Standards Navigation Toolkit."

"The Toolkit has been developed to support SMEs in increasing their understanding of sustainability standards, assessing their readiness for certification, and obtaining actionable recommendations for implementing sustainable practices and achieving compliance in export operations," he added.

Azad expressed his gratitude to ADB TSCFP and ITC for taking the initiative to develop the Toolkit, and affirmed that ICC Bangladesh will continue to organise capacity-building workshops to strengthen SMEs and boost their export potential.

Ataur Rahman, secretary general of the ICCB, moderated the workshop.

DANG Tuan Ducand, associate programme officer of International Trade Centre, and Niklas Anders ANDERSSON, software engineer, along with other senior officials from the participating organisations, were also in attendance.