Chief Executive of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) Shahid Rasheed has said we are negotiating with different donors and fund raising agencies for executing the Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry's management marketing business (MMB) master plan and particularly USAID is being persuaded.
He was addressing the members of executive committee of MCCI chaired by Malik Asra Ahmed Awan the other day. There was a dire need for executing management marketing business plan and the government had incurred huge expenses on this project but now it wanted do it with the co-operation of MCCI, he said.
Rasheed said that Women Business Incubation Centre (WBIC) was being established in Multan. It was initiative of Smeda, funded by the government to provide support to women entrepreneurs in an exclusive female oriented environment. It is the first of its kind centre in Pakistan wherein, offices, exhibition, display facilities and business development services (including training programmes) would be offered to women entrepreneurs under one roof.
The entire effort would be focused on encouraging new businesses and support to existing businesses including the right environment for nurturing women owned and managed businesses to an extent that these become sustainable, more specifically, in first five years, when they are most vulnerable.
The WBIC is a supportive entrepreneurial community designed to help grow small businesses. The CEO Smeda said that the centre was being established for providing assistance to home-based businesses or those in earlier stages of development. He said that Smeda was providing a unique service to facilitate SMEs by promoting contacts among businessmen. Smeda's role is that of a matchmaker and we provide a platform for SMEs to come together and explore different areas of co-operation using Smeda's databases and website. Now anyone can look for joint ventures, buy running business, form equity partnership, look for agents or distributor franchises and other business investment opportunities through this initiative.
Business and Sector Development Services (B&SDS) department of the Smeda is responsible for providing technical assistance to SMEs. Agri-business Development Services of B&SDS is providing proactive technical and managerial assistance to agro SMEs in the country.
President of MCCI, Malik Asrar Ahmed Awan in his welcome address said that Mango Pulp Plant should be run under the supervision and monitoring of MCCI otherwise this project might collapse. He said that agro-food-processing facility should be utilised professionally. He hoped that the MCCI would get positive results from this project.
Khawaja Muhammad Yousaf said that an export display centre must be established in Multan to promote handicrafts. He said that USAID, European Union and other international agencies were giving due importance to Southern Punjab. Now Smeda should give due importance to this area too.
Faiz Anwar Kidwai, Alamgir Chaudhry, Khawaja Muhammad Usman ,Afshan Gilani, Shamshad Jafari, Anwar Saleem Keen , Hina Naqvi and Khawaja Farooq also spoke on the occasion.
Comments
Comments are closed.