UNISAME URGES 9th SME CONFERENCE TO SEEK PRIORITY FOR SECTOR

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) intends to present a road map to the government for the uplift of the micro, small to medium sized entrepreneurs and present a 13 points doable agenda at the 9th SME Conference 2015 to be held on 25th August 2015 at a local hotel in Lahore.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver appreciated the efforts of Menin Rodrigues chairman Shamrock Conferences and his team for giving the stakeholders an opportunity to highlight the real issues of the SME sector every year for the last 9 years. This conference is all the more meaningful as the planning ministry is revisiting the SME Policy 2007 and working on Vision 2025.

He elaborated that as key note speaker at the forum he would advocate the cause of the SMEs.
The government needs to facilitate the sector wholeheartedly as it is the majority sector, backbone of the economy, the engine of growth and the back forte of the large sector. The SMEs are into farming, manufacturing, trading and services and playing important role in the primary, secondary and tertiary sectors of the economy. There is urgent need for focus on each of these areas for rapid growth of the sector.

Enlisting the requirements of the sector the Union has proposed a 13 points agenda in the shape of a road map for submission to the policy makers who are expected at the forum. The officials of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), SMEDA, Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform (MoPD&R), SME Bank and other important stakeholders will speak and enlighten the participants at the forum.

The Union will stress the need for implementation of the SME Policy 2007 in letter and spirit for educating the SMEs about the new technologies in production, management, marketing, accounting & inventory control.
And for encouraging the SMEs to modernize and make plans for balancing and replacement of their units and arrange transfer of technology.

And for facilitating the SMEs through banking, leasing,insurance as these are the pillars for growth. The country needs modern banking, leasing and insurance facilities. The strengthening of the SME Bank is very important for meeting the access to finance requirements of the sector.

The SMEs in order to progress need law and order and protection and need to feel safe. Protection squads are needed in industrial areas and important markets.

The infrastructure definitely needs to be improved.

The SME sector is dependent on logistics which encompasses transportation, warehousing and collateral management.

The need for alternate energy is being felt due to the energy crisis. The wind, solar and biomass energy systems are required as alternate energy and must be promoted fully.

There is an urgent need of industrial estates in all the provinces. The special economic zones must facilitate the SMEs to purchase land on easy payment facility.

The government should adopt a policy of fair taxation and also give tax benefit to innovative industries and new units.

The SMEs need their own chamber of commerce and also their own export promotion bureau. There is need for e_ Commerce and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and SMEDA are requested to set up the SME gallery for global exposure of SME products.

The NPO, EDB, SMEDA, PCSIR and TDAP are all dedicated institutions and working hard for the promotion and development of the SMEs together with the commercial banks but they all need to co-ordinate with one another for integrated efforts

The above is not an easy task and for this the government should strengthen and equip the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and broaden its scope to enable it to reach the SMEs involved in manufacturing, trading and services.

Thaver urged the immediate need for priority for the sector which could change the destiny of Pakistan if motivated, encouraged, supported and facilitated scientifically on modern lines.

UNISAME expects the chairman Shamrock Conferences Menin Rodrigues to plead for priority for the sector which it truly deserves at the forum to invite the attention of Prof Ahsan Iqbal the federal minister for planning, development and reform who is invited as the chief guest for the event.

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