President of Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) Mian Zahid Hussain has emphasized that cottage industrial zones should be established across the country and particularly along the CPEC to improve productivity, exports and employment in Pakistan. "Needed steps should be taken for promotion of small and medium enterprises. Cottage industry can reduce poverty and bailout country from the economic problems," he said.
Mian Zahid said that the majority of the population comprises of women therefore they should be included in the national mainstream to ensure rapid progress. "Cottage industry, small traders and women entrepreneurs should be given more attention to ensure rapid development," he stresses saying that over 960% percent businesses fall in the category of cottage industry and small businesses but this sector has been neglected against the national economic interests.
He asked how Pakistan can become a successful economic model when cottage industry, small traders and women feel side-lined. He urged that government should revisit some policies governing these sectors. He said that there are 1.5 billion poor in Asia of which 660 million are very poor while the majority of world's poor lives in Saarc region that can be lifted out of poverty by policy intervention which has been awaited since long.
"Reasons behind rampant poverty among women is unfriendly attitude of policymakers, gender inequality, lack of education, absence of required skills and credit facilities, cultural constraints and apathy towards the critically important SMEs sector," he said. PBIF president asked the government to focus on health, education, technical skills, infrastructure development, and facilitate cross-border trade to ensure additional benefits worth billions of dollars that can ensure economic progress and peace.