The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) is engaged in setting up of 20 tangible SME projects at a cost of Rs 2.2 billion under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP). The Smeda chief Shahid Rashid stated this while addressing the inaugural session of the three-day conference of Smeda's Provincial Chiefs here on Monday.
Alamgir Chaudhry, Provincial Chief, Punjab, Muslim Raza, Provincial Chief, Sindh, Bakhtiar Khan, Provincial Chief, NWFP and Khurram Riaz, Acting Provincial Chief, Balochistan are attending conference the along with General Managers of the central office, including Iftikhar Hussain, Sultan Tiwana, Syed Iqbal Anwar Kidwai and Muhammad Jamil Afaqi.
The Smeda chief disclosed that four, out of 20 approved PSDP projects, had become operational, which include Women Business Incubation Center, Lahore, Agro-Food Processing Facility (AFPF), Multan, Gujranwala Business Center and the SME Subcontracting Exchange, Gujranwala.
He said that main agenda of the three-day conference was to make a review of the ongoing projects and the assignments set under the current Annual Business Plans. He urged the provincial chiefs to share their experience with each other so as to fill in the gaps in running operations.
He was confident that the successful completion of PSDP projects would enter Smeda in category of the organisations doing tangible work for industrial and economic development of the country. He asked the provincial chiefs to equally concentrate on overcoming the difficulties being faced by SMEs.
He said, "While completing PSDP projects we should not at all ignore handholding of the SMEs". He urged to promote credibility and integrity of Help Desks in this regard. He said that a viable mechanism must be evolved for an effective interaction with existing as well as prospective entrepreneurs.
The conference opened would continue till tomorrow evening. Whereas, on 3rd day, delegates of conference would the SME Exhibition held at Gujranwala Business Center (GBC). They will also attend the opening ceremony of SME Subcontracting Exchange to be held there at GBC on Wednesday.