New Delhi, July 12 (KNN) Eyeing at easing the challenges the MSME sector face with regard to credit, the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) announced a Certified Credit Counsellor program for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The programme comes as a response to the findings of the 4^th MSME census that revealed only 7 per cent of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are able to avail financing from organizations. This provides an opportunity for the growth in the sector by focussing on ways in which the credit related issues could be resolved.

The initiative was launched in the presence of the RBI Deputy S S Mundra who too acknowledged the importance of increasing the flow of credit to the MSME sector.

The SIDBI initiative is being looked upon as an approach that would take into account demand and supply factors. SIDBI expects that its role in facilitating the supply would help India move along the line with other countries such as Canada that have similar advisory models for the MSMEs.

Speaking at the launch event, Ajay Kumar Kapur, DMD of SIDBi highlighted the role of SIDBi in empowering the small and medium enterprises. The Certified Credit Counsellor program is another such initiative in the direction he informed. (KNN/ DA)