CALL TO SET UP SME LIAISON COMMITTEE UNDER MoIP

Mar 1, 2022 |
The Financial Daily   01/03/2022
The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has proposed to the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) under ministry of industries and production (MOI&P) to set up an SME Liaison Committee ( SME-LC) to act as a liaison between the small to medium sized entrepreneurs and the various government departments and agencies on the pattern of Citizen Police Laision Committee (CPLC). for linking the sector with the government effectively.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said the aim and object of the SME-LC would be to fill the healthy trust and communication gap between the entrepreneurs and the provincial and federal  government and to properly  educate the SMEs about their duties and responsibilities against their rights.
SME-LC  would play a twin role to ensure that the rights are not denied to the SMEs and at the same time to ensure that the entrepreneurs fulfill their obligations their duties and responsibilities honestly he stated.
The rights and duties are the two sides of the same coin and recognizing this fact forms the basis of a healthy relationship.
Thaver said the SMEs are facing rough treatment at the hands of several agencies who behave like policemen rather than friendly regulators and monitoring agents.
The SME-LC has become a necessity in view of the tough prevailing style of the officers which has damaged the growth of the SMEs who are hesitant to expand or modernize their enterprises.
The officers come on so harshly that they make the entrepreneurs feel guilty of illegalities when actually the matter is of irregularities.
The various acts, rules and regulations are such that the SME has to spend sufficient time to learn them and be aware of their timely fulfillment.
The SME cannot miss out on any of them and if any one is overlooked or omitted the SME is subjected to not only penalties but is compelled at times by some corrupt officers to pay bribes even when the law simply states that a warning is sufficient. In some cases the mistake can even be condoned but the SME has to suffer at the hands of such officers. The SME-LC could play its role effectively by shielding the entrepreneurs.
Likewise the SME-LC could prevent disregard of law, rules and regulations and also inculcate respect for honest officers and appreciate their sense of duties and responsibilities.
The SME-LC could also arrange and manage collective guards and watchmen in industrial areas and arrange gated security measures.
The SME-LC could engage in between various taxation, duties, levies, renewals, monthly , quarterly and annual returns and safety measures and maintaining of conducive environments.
The other important role which the UNISAME COUNCIL has suggested is of best business practices to be adhered to by the SMEs which is of delivering goods and services to customers in accordance with promises or contracts and non compliance by the SME would become a matter of being debarred from the trade circle if the complainant supports his complained with sufficient evidence.
It has been suggested to house the SME-LC in SMEDA offices and the SME -LC to be run jointly with SMEDA , UNISAME and SME chambers of commerce and industries.
UNISAME is pleased to inform the SMEs that SMEDA has decided to revive the free legal aid committee which it was successfully running as per its articles and memorandum of association clauses permitting advocacy for the sector.

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