ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the country holds strong potential for boosting exports.
A meeting on SMEDA’s business plan for the promotion of SMEs was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, during which a three-year roadmap aimed at strengthening small and medium-sized businesses was presented.
The prime minister appreciated Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar and SMEDA’s newly appointed Board of Directors for formulating a practical and effective plan. He said that SMEs are the backbone of the national economy and that their growth has significant capacity to increase the country’s exports.
During the meeting, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed relevant institutions to accelerate measures to ensure the provision of loans to SMEs on easy terms by banks and other financial institutions. A detailed briefing was given on the challenges faced by SMEs, proposed solutions, strategies to integrate SMEs into national exports, and other initiatives included in the business plan.
The meeting was also briefed on steps being taken to further enhance cooperation with various countries to introduce Pakistan’s SME sector in global markets on a competitive basis.
It was informed that several workshops had recently been held in six cities to enhance the capacity of local SMEs, while multiple training programs are also underway to prepare small and medium-sized businesses for international competition.
The participants were also briefed on measures aimed at increasing women’s participation and meaningful role in the SME sector. The meeting was attended by Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, chief secretaries of all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan, members of SMEDA’s newly appointed board, and officials from relevant departments.
