Jetro to further promote SME sector in country

Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector in the country is playing an important role in the development of national economy as this sector has about 90 percent share in private industrial enterprises, provides jobs to 78 percent non-agriculture labour force, contributes 25 percent to manufacturing export earnings and 30 percent to GDP.
However, this sector has still lot of potential to grow and close collaboration with organisations like Jetro will go a long way in enhancing the capacity building of our SMEs in the country.
This was stated by President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Mian Shaukat Masud while talking to a delegation of Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) Haruki Shimizu, Special Advisor and Minoru Uga, Country Director who called on him here Thursday.
He said Jetro has expertise to provide technical assistance and guidance in the field of marketing, business management and enhancing capacity building of SMEs. Therefore, Jetro should increase its efforts in Pakistan to transfer its expertise and knowledge to business community for further improving the performance of SME sector, he added.
Shaukat Masud said global recession has created opportunities for Pakistan to enhance its exports and Jetro can enhance the productivity of our SMEs by sharing its good management practices with our businessmen so that Pakistan could further promote its exports.
He said that Japan has made great strides in developing advanced business and management practices and many companies in the world expanded their businesses by adopting Japanese management practices. He asked Jetro experts to train our businessmen with modern business practices so that they could expand and grow their business by utilising innovative business ideas and practices.
He said that apart from keeping liaison with FPCCI, Jetro should reach out to all other Chambers in the country so that many business professionals could be benefited from its efforts. He assured ICCI full co-operation to Jetro in facilitating its interaction with business people and in accomplishing it's designated assignment in Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Haruki Shimizi, Special Advisor and Minoru Uga, Country Director of Japan External Trade Organisation (Jetro) said their organisation is a non-profit trade, investment and technical co-operation promotion agency under the aegis of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan.
They said Jetro is striving hard to promote trade, investment, technical co-operation and other bilateral economic relations between Japan and Pakistan by providing technical assistance and guidance in the field of marketing, business management, enhancing the capacity building of SMEs, providing on the job training and advisory services to business people.