Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) NWFP has invited private entrepreneurs of the province representing various chambers and associations to discuss implementation of projects approved under SME policy. The first ever SME policy of Pakistan worth Rs 13 billion was announced on January 17, 2007.
The input of the private sector for the projects are designed would be incorporated and implemented. Three projects going to be implemented in Frontier province include the establishment of an institute of SME and entrepreneurship Development, SME promotion council and SME export house. The stakeholders gave their input that how these projects would help the SME from NWFP and implementation shall be done as agreed by the representatives of private sector.
The participants were of the view that an SME export house is badly needed at Peshawar, but, it has to be managed through a public-private partnership. The participants recommended that the institute of SME and entrepreneurship development should focus on short courses mainly between 1-3 days and work on establishing forward and backward linkages reducing the gap between industry and academia.
The representatives from private sector strongly felt that SME promotion council should work under the regional office of Smeda to have a better knowledge about the local SME. The council would take initiatives to reduce government-SME gap.
Smeda NWFP chief Javed Iqbal Khattak, Ghulam Sarwar Khan Mohmand, Adeel Rauf, Malik Niaz Ahmad Naz, Shahid Munir, Khalid Sultan Khawaja, Lubna Farooq, Jamshid Khan, Mohammad Tariq, Zahid Arif and other attended the meeting. The renowned businessmen of the province Manager Operation, Smeda, Syed Iqbal Kidwai presided over the meeting.-PR