(29 June, 2018)
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Friday said that Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) is playing vital role in development of SME sector. Rs. 29.78 Billion has invested over the 10 to develop this sector for future investments and establish 27 common facility centres to facilitate existing enterprises. 95 percent of the enterprises comprised over micro, small and medium enterprises which provides 60 percent of the employment, globally.
The veteran business leader while talking to the business community said that various agro products loss is faced due to absence of modern technology and latest equipment which can play a major role in increased export after processing. Steps should be taken to develop the SME sector keeping the advanced SME sectors of US, Korea and Turkey and necessary resources may be provided to SMEDA so that it can play its role in the economic development of the Country.
The former minister said National Vocational and training commission has important role in providing skilled labour to the industrial sector while SMEDA has completed several projects with the help of chambers of small trade and small industries under public sector development program (PSDP). Chillies processing centre has established in Kunri which has improved the quality of chillies and increased the profitability of farmers. Dyeing, washing and pressing common facility centre has established in Mingora which will help in reopening of more than 200 closed silk units and has developed the business of 75 operational silk units. Honey processing and packaging common facility centre has established in Swat which will help the Malakand region in producing quality honey in accordance to the international standards. Likewise SME subcontracting exchange has executed in Gujranwala which provided R&D facilities to the sector and help in bringing together the large and small industries to understand and collectively resolve each other problems.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that SMEDA and NAVTTC need to make collective efforts to take SME sector to new heights. Government should take measures to establish common facility centres for each cluster of SME sector so that loss of agro products can be avoided and exports of this cluster may be further increased thus increasing the foreign exchange of the Country. Recommendations and suggestions forwarded by chambers of small trade and small industries should be given due consideration for the development of SME sector.
