Dhaka, Feb. 8 -- established, mostly family-owned business sector of Old Dhaka flagged traffic congestion, water logging, weak infrastructure, and inadequate access to SME finance, as the most significant bottlenecks to doing business in one of the country's oldest and largest trading hubs.

They also pointed to the increasing exchange rate of taka against the dollar, delays in import and export procedures, high interest rates, the increased VAT and tax rates, apart from complex state revenue structures, as hurdles for their businesses, that mostly fall under the Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) category.

They voiced these views at a views-exchange meeting for MSMEs in 'Old Town' on Saturday, organised by the Dhaka Chamber of...