The Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate (QIE) and the Business Support Fund (BSF) have signed an agreement to promote the small and medium enterprises (SME) sector. Estate President Mian Nauman Kabir and BSF Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ali Sarfraz inked the agreement.
Both will provide small and medium enterprises cost matching grants to buy business development services and consultation. The BSF has agreed to bear 50 percent expenses of external expert and the other 50 percent by the concerned industry.
The BSF delegation head told his audience about his organisation's services and opportunities for members and firms in the areas of research, development, technology transfer and up-gradation. He said the BSF helped in increasing the profitability and competitiveness of the SMEs.
Kabir welcomed the agreement, terming it a step in the right direction, helping to boost the Pakistani SMEs sector. He said the strength of the small and medium enterprises sector was a necessary tool. Kabir then talked about his estate, saying it was progressing well and that industrialists were getting all necessary facilities.
He said his organisation had built a water tank to supply clean drinking water and a waste management department. He said it was the only industrial zone, which started a plantation campaign and set up a treatment plant to coop with the problem of industrial pollution. Sheikh Mohammad Ayub, Baber Mehmood Chaudhry, Chairman, Lahore Township Industries Association Amjad Ali Jawa and Vice-Chairman Khwaja Asif were also present.