Featuring among the three new products added by Bangladesh Bank (BB), garment sector now has a provision to its refinance scheme of low-interest loans. The banking regulator now includes solar water-pumps, green industry and workplace safety projects of the apparel industry in the scheme. The upper loan limit for solar water-pumps is Tk 3 crore, Tk 20 crore for green industry and Tk 1 crore has been earmarked for garment factories. Borrowers will have to pay a 9 per cent interest rate for green industry and garment factories and 11 per cent for solar irrigation pumps. The repayment period is six years, five years and 10 years respectively, with a nine-month grace period.
