REMEDIAL MEASURES SUGGESTED BY UNISAME AT 8th SME FORUM

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) delegation attended the 8th Pakistan SME Forum on 19th August 2014 at a local hotel.
President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver on behalf of the union urged the planning ministry to take remedial measures for rapid fast track promotion and development of the sector.
He submitted that conducive environment is the need of the hour and protection squads must be installed in all industrial areas and crime should be controlled scientifically.
Since there is energy crisis the government must promote alternate energy wholeheartedly and exempt alternate energy system from duties and taxes. The SMEs must be provided finance on subsidized rates for setting up energy generation systems of bio mass and solar energy panels.
It is very important that the banks are made comfortable in financing the SMEs and for this there is urgent need for credit guarantee. The banks also need to be educated in risk management and SME financing. He stressed the need for warehouse receipt financing, commercial property leasing and bridge financing for SMEs.
Banking, Insurance, Leasing and Logistics are the pillars of an economy and it is very necessary that they are made efficient and modern concepts are adopted.
Industrial estates and special economic zones need to be established in all the provinces and land be given to SMEs on concession and soft payment terms.
The SMEs require their own chamber of commerce and an export house. UNISAME members urged for co-ordination between SME promotion institutions namely SMEDA, NPO, PCSIR, EDB and TDAP for integrated efforts.
Salman Merchant convener of e-Commerce UNISAME demanded the setting up of e-Commerce regulatory authority (ERA) and full fledged promotion of e-Commerce for the benefit of the sector.
The UNISAME delegation comprised of Altaf Ashruff, Abid Burney, Irfan Bandukda, Yasin Thaver, Raza Khandwalla, Farukh Salim Fazal Karim. Anjum Hassan, Asgharali and Waqas Ansari who urged the government to give priority to the SME sector and also the housing industry.

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