FIRST MEETING OF SMEPF RESOLVES TO FACILITATE THE SECTOR

The first meeting of SME Pakistan Forum ( SMEPF) was held on 21st November at State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Heritage Building and presided by Director Ghulam Muhammad Abbasi. The members of the SMEPF namely Small Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), The Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), The Sindh Enterprise Development Fund (SEDF) the directors of the Small Industries Corporation of all the provinces, the directors of different departments of SBP and UNISAME president and convener actively participated .
Ghulam Muhammad Abbasi director SBP explained the terms of reference and purpose of the forum , which primarily is to co-ordinate between the members for fast track promotion and uplift of the sector.
President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver lamented that finance had become unaffordable ,cost of doing business has increased, the uplift measures are slow, there is widening of technological gap, there is need for broad based, best uniform definition to include the higher medium sector as well.
High impact measures are required and support , help and facilities for value addition, global marketing, transfer of technology and making SMEDA an outstanding institution must be on the agenda he insisted.
UNISAME chief Zulfikar Thaver and convener Yousuf Yaqoob. requested to include TDAP in the forum, secondly to upscale the cap on SME financing and Micro finance along with the revised definition, to also facilitate franchise financing, to facilitate private sector to set up SEZs, make LTF available for SMEs, promote commercial property leasing/financing under ” Pay as you earn schemes.” They expressed need to free farmers from the clutches of the Arthees through micro finance banks and to include SME farmers in the fold of SMEDA. The need to negotiate for better deal with China under CPEC was also expressed for transfer of technology, partnerships, collaboration and joint ventures for mutual benefits.
Yousuf Yaqoob requested prompt support for construction industry.
They thanked SBP, SMEDA, SECP & SEDF for their extraordinary support.
The SECP, SMEDA, SEDF and SIC executives of all provinces assured the forum of full support.
General Manager SMEDA Ms Nadia Seth informed the forum that the comprehensive SME policy is in approval stage and will resolve almost all issues of the sector.
Mehboob Ul Haq CEO of SEDF invited the SMEs to avail the facilities offered by SEDF to bear the KIBOR burden of cost of finance.
Additional Registrar of SECP said the SECP has made registration of joint stock companies very simple and applicants can seek guidance from help .desk and register online as well.

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