Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) is organising a training programme for OIC Countries on 'Entrepreneurship Development' from March 28 to April 1, 2005 in Karachi. In all 25 participants from 20 Islamic countries are participating in this workshop which is aimed at imparting training to the trainers, who hails from Pakistan, Azerbijan, Bangladesh, Gambia, Kyrgyz Republic, Mozambique, Turkey, Uganda, Mauritania, Cameroon, UAE, Maldives, Turkish Cyprus, Kuwait and others.
Muhammad Javed Afzal, Manager Training Services, Smeda, while throwing light on background of arranging this programme told Business Recorder here on Thursday that Entrepreneurship was an important facet of industrial growth and development of a country.
'Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in economic development and overall transition of developing country. Most of the SMEs in the OIC member countries were operating below the optimal level and lack in good management and skills development practices. Risk taking, future orientation and innovation are the hallmark of successful entrepreneur', he said.
To promote entrepreneurial culture in OIC countries, training of trainers in Entrepreneurship could be the fundamental step and would be best route to address the issues of unemployment, equitable distribution of income, mobilisation of human and capital resources to foster economic growth of the country, he added.
On the basis of a resolution adopted in 2nd meeting of the OIC Task Force on SMEs, which was also discussed in the 3rd meeting held in Pakistan in year 2004, the ICCI and Smeda in collaboration with Islamic Development Bank (IDB) was arranging this training programme in Karachi.
Elaborating he said encouraging entrepreneurship was a key to improve competitiveness, boosting exports and fostering economic growth. Through this Entrepreneurship Development Programme, participants would learn to improve their financial planning skills, assess key success factors attributed to developing sustainable businesses, make a better marketing plan and create effective strategic plans.
Entrepreneurship drives new ideas, novel approaches and innovative technologies to reach the marketplace, he said. He further said that objective of the programme was to create a pool of Master Trainers to promote entrepreneurship in their respective countries.
Other objectives were to promote entrepreneurial culture in OIC countries, encourage prospective entrepreneurs to start their own small businesses, enhance the Entrepreneurial motivation of existing entrepreneurs and to upgrade their managerial competence, to help existing entrepreneurs for optimal utilising their resources and understanding how entrepreneur should use latest marketing, financial information technology and production techniques for success, he added.
Javed further stated that the Federal Minister for Industries, Production and Special Initiative, Jehangir Khan Tareen would be the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony of this five-day programme.