Dhaka, Oct. 6 -- Bangladesh Bank (BB) has relaxed foreign payment regulations for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), allowing them to remit up to US$3,000 annually for meeting bona fide current expenses abroad.

The central bank, through a circular issued on Sunday, said the remittances may be made either via traditional banking channels or through international cards, BSS reports.

To access the facility, SMEs must be registered with the SME Foundation.

As part of the move, banks have been permitted to issue refillable international cards, termed "SME Cards," to a nominated official of each enterprise.

An SME Card can be initially loaded with up to $600, primarily to cover online payments for bona fide expenses.

However, the overall...