Prime Minister Imran Khan Thursday said that country’s all economic indicators are on positive trajectory and promotion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is a must to bring further improvement.
Chairing a meeting of National Coordination Committee on SMEs, the prime minister instructed the authorities concerned for accomplishment of the targets set for SMEs’ uplift.
Federal ministers Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Hammad Azhar, SAPM Usman Dar, Board of Investment chairman, federal secretaries of industries, commerce, finance, energy, petroleum and law, chairman of Federal Board of Revenue, deputy governor of State Bank, Commissioner Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, CEO SMEDA, managing director of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority and senior officers attended the meeting. The Sindh chief secretary and secretaries of industries from Gilgit Baltistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir and CEO of Trade Development Authority participated through video link.
The prime minister said that the SMEs were key component of the economy and their empowerment would help strengthen the economic outlook and create employment opportunities. The meeting was told that the government was in consultation with all the stakeholders to extend financial support to SMEs for which a special fund would also be created. It was also told that targets had been set to address legal, administrative and regulatory issues for betterment of SMEs sector. Moreover, the restructuring of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) was also being done to facilitate the business sector.
The meeting was told that the working groups had been created in the provinces and SMEs’ database was being updated on priority for their timely facilitation.
Meanwhile, a delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan’s (MQM-P) senior leadership met Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday and expressed its reservations on various issues during the meeting.
According to a private TV channel, MQM-P Convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Minister of Information Technology and Telecommunication Aminul Haq and senior leader Haider Abbas Rizvi were part of party’s delegation. Federal Ministers Asad Umar, Ali Zaidi and Sindh Governor Imran Ismail were also present during the meeting. The country’s overall political situation was discussed with an emphasis on Sindh. Other issues including the Karachi package were also discussed.
Siddiqui raised the issue of missing workers, return of political offices, Karachi package and delay in development work before PM Imran.
