Project begun to promote women's entrepreneurship in KP

A project was launched in joint collaboration with Aurat Foundation and Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), aiming at to promote and advance women entrepreneurship in the province.
The project was funded by USAID under its Gender Equity Program, implemented by Aurat Foundation. In this regard, an inaugural ceremony held at SCCI on Thursday, in which Secretary Industries, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Ms Farah Hamid Khan participated as chief guest.
The ceremony was attended by SCCI president Haji Muhammad Afzal, Senior Vice President Muhammad Iqbal, Vice president Abidullah Khan Yousafzai, executive body members, besides representatives of Aurat Foundation.
Muhammad Afzal, while speaking on the occasion said that USAID had extended a grant of Rs 6.7million for the project through Aurat Foundation for one-year, which would be spent on promotion of women entrepreneurship, supporting businesswomen financially, marketing their products, besides business management, promote of cottage industries, and provision of other facilities to women businessperson.
He said the SCCI is making all possible measures to promote women entrepreneurship and provision of equal opportunities to work and promote their business products efficiently. He added that a number of projects had so far initiated in this regard.
The chamber president called upon the provincial government to take effective measures to facilitate the terrorism-stricken business community and ensure maximum facilitation services to them. He said the impediments should be removed to establish new industrial zones and provision of allotment of industrial plots.
Afzal stressed the need of expediting the up-gradation of existing industrial estates across the province.
He asked the government to ensure all those facilities to local investors, which were providing to foreign companies under China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
He informed that the KP would soon get additional 100mmcfd gas quota after successful negotiation with Centre.
He further added the additional gas would be utilised on generation of electricity through captive power units, to supply to industries in the province.
Earlier, a representative of Aurat Foundation gave a detail multi-media presentation, and explained the key objectives and functions of the project, financially assisted by USAID, implementing Aurat Foundation in the province.