UNISAME URGES FEDERAL MINISTER INDUSTRIES TO FOCUS ON SMEDA FOR RAPID GROWTH

The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has urged the government to earnestly appreciate the role of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and strengthen it on modern lines to face the challenges to the sector.

SMEDA needs to be taken very seriously as an SME promotion and development authority and equipped with the best managers and experienced officers.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said that SMEDA was created by prime minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif in 1998 during his second term as PM. After the overthrow of his government, this institution become a lucrative “parking lot” posting for government officials. Although it is an independent authority and demands the best professional managers and headed by an experienced and expert as its chief executive officer (CEO) to implement and execute its plans vigorously.

He said SMEDA deserves the best attention of the government as it is an important tool and largely instrumental in the growth of the economy. It is pertinent to note that the SME policy 2007 was made by SMEDA with the help of the stakeholders.

Thaver said the new five year plan which contemplates on creation of 270000 enterprises which will create 10 million new jobs. He said the new business plan also has the capacity to magnify the export potential of the local SMEs. It is believed and reported that implementation of SMEDA’s plan will raise the exports from the current level of $18.21 billion to $54.20 billion by 2018,”. It is therefore very important that SMEDA has a CEO who has been part and parcel of the 5 year plan rather than a bureaucrat who is appointed for a short period and who is merely aiming at a promotion thereafter in the ministry as its secretary. A truly professional CEO is the requirement and it is not the cup of tea of any bureaucrat it calls for an SME expert.

Secondly he pointed out that as per the long outstanding demand of UNISAME an SME club is also being developed for establishing inter-firm linkages and providing preferred value-added services, including Real Time Business Opportunities (Trade Leads), access to international markets and business networking opportunities, along with preferred BDS Services and it is very important that an in house CEO who knows the subject is appointed to implement the plans and policies.

Thaver urged the federal minister of industries and production (MoI&P) Ghulam Murtuza Jatoi to give the present acting CEO of SMEDA Alamgir Chaudhry an opportunity to prove himself and consider his appointment as CEO on merit as by virtue of his experience in different positions in SMEDA he has gathered the skill in SME promotion and development. He is an SME expert and UNISAME is confident he will be able to achieve the desired accelerated growth.

UNISAME also urged the federal minister to reconstitute the board of directors with experienced entrepreneurs who can provide expert guidance to SMEDA for rapid development and uplift of the sector.

UNISAME also invited the attention of Murtuza Jatoi to the much awaited promised appointment of an ombudsman in the SME policy 2007 for the sector and recommended names of Shahab Khwaja ex federal secretary industries and production and Iqbal Kidwai ex general manager SMEDA who would be best suited for the post by virtue of their long experience in SME issues and woes.

Posted in: Press Releases