KARACHI: The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (Unisame) has urged the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) to facilitate the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector with free business portals, a statement said.

The Unisame in its online conference meeting urged the TDAP to recognise the potential of the SME sector to enhance exports by facilitating the sector to enter non-traditional markets and adding non-traditional goods to their list of exports.

Unisame president Zulfikar Thaver said that the TDAP needs to focus on the SME sector and facilitate them with free business portals and educate them on e-commerce.

He urged the TDAP to coordinate with commercial banks to open merchant accounts for them, enabling them to sell online and receive payments directly in their merchant accounts through their websites.

A leading exporter of commodities Zeeshan Nazim said that the export of traditional goods to non-traditional markets and non-traditional goods to traditional and non-traditional markets will enhance exports.

The items which are unnecessarily banned due to irrational regulations imposed due to the influence of vested interests, also need to be allowed for exports, he added. There is vast scope for export of herbs, seeds, roots and extracts and it remains untapped due to the lack of awareness, he added.

Efficient logistics is the key to increase exports, he said, while pointing out that the SME sector is facing difficulties due to the non-availability of containers and exorbitant increase in the freight rates.

An agriculturist and farmer Rabee Altaf said that the SME farmers are suffering at the hands of middlemen who are not giving them fair prices and victimising them at the time of harvest.

He emphasised on the need for dehydration and cold storage facilities to enable the farmers to store their produce especially for perishable items, urging the microfinance banks to offer affordable finance and access to finance.

Altaf said that exports cannot increase without a strong agricultural base and efficient logistics and warehousing system under modern collateral management with financial support, while stressing on crop insurance.

Exports can increase if the SME farmers are facilitated, supported and encouraged to grow more and not victimised at the hands of middlemen who get good prices from the exporters but do not pay the farmers fairly.