ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said the government was working on a priority basis for promotion of small and medium enterprises.
He was chairing the Steering Committee meeting of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA).
On the direction of the prime minister, micro-enterprises had been made part of the SME sector and in this regard, a comprehensive policy was being formulated.
He directed that new skilled manpower should be hired from the market for SMEDA.
He said while adopting a transparent process, a workforce of international standard should be hired in SMEDA and their salaries should be according to the market rates.
He said professional labour training for the SME sector was very important.
He noted that the role of SMEDA for the progress of rural economy was very crucial and a strategy should be formed for the grant of interest-free loans by SMEDA to the rural population including women.
He ordered that all professional training institutes at the federal level should be merged into one institution.
The meeting was briefed about the ongoing reforms in SMEDA.
It was told that on the instruction of the prime minister the representation of private sector was being increased in SMEDA board.
A strategy was being put in place to equip the workforce in SMEDA with new skills and modern technology.
A plan was being prepared to make the portfolio of SMEDA more effective and wide-ranging.
On the instruction of the prime minister, the Ministry of Commerce and SMEDA were working together to identify companies related to exports.
A well planned performance management framework was being structured in SMEDA.
On the direction of the prime minister, SMEDA organized 28 seminars and training programmes in which 953 persons participated.
It was informed that a financial literacy programme was being started for the SME sector for which the induction of experts was completed.
An export assistance programme was being started to increase exports of the SME sector.
A legal framework was being prepared for sub-contracting of the SME sector for which the process of hiring would be started soon.
Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Industry and Production Rana Tanvir Hussain, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar, Chairman PM Youth Programme Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan and high level officials attended the meeting.
Members National Assembly Syeda Nousheen Iftikhar and Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha attended the meeting through video link.
