Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will be setting up Common Facility Centers (CFCs) which will be run by the local trade organisations at a cost of 12 million dollars.
Moreover, the government will soon be announcing a financing scheme for the SMEs, said Smeda Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shahab Khawaja while briefing the standing committee of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce & Industry (LCCI) on Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) here on Monday. The meeting was presided over by the Convener Standing Committee, Rehmat Ullah Javed.
Replying to various points raised by the LCCI members, Khawaja said that SME Task Force constituted for chalking out a policy for SME would meet in April. LCCI would also be given representation in it, he added. He hoped the policy would help in resolving the problems being faced by the SMEs.
The LCCI members also called for setting up a separate ministry for SMEs on the pattern of India.
They also demanded that a CFC should be setup in PITAC for auto-parts, engineering, agro-based, leather goods, textile and garments. They also proposed that the proposed center should be named as 'Technology Park.'
Moreover, the members also suggested for introducing one-window system to facilitate SMEs.
They also called for providing low interest loans to cottage industry, as the present rate of 13 percent could not make this industry viable.
The meeting was also attended by the Convener Cottage Industry Ghulam Sarwar Malik and Executive Committee member Dr Shehla Javed Akram.