UNISAME URGES GOVERNMENT TO MEET REQUIREMENTS OF SECTOR

Zulfikar Thaver president of the Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) in a talk show on a business television channel urged the government to meet the requirements of finance, raw material, land, energy, technology and marketing support.

He emphasized the need for finance at affordable mark up with credit insurance guarantee from the government to the banks to make them comfortable in financing the SMEs.

He added that the sector needs uninterupted supply of raw material both indigenous and imported. The import duties should be reduced and the facilities of bonded warehouses be ensured for continuity of supplies.

There is need for industrial estates and the SMEs need land at concession on easy payment facilities.

The industrial estates must have energy generation system of their own.

All alternate energy devices must be exempt from import duties and government must promote wind, solar and biomass systems by subsidized financing and allow import on 0% duty.

The transfer of technology must be facilitated, promoted and supported to fill the technology gap.

Every effort must be made to ensure simplification of procedures, one window operation and ease of doing business.

He stressed the need for conducive environment and measures to control the miscreants in industrial areas. There is dire need for SME police laision committees
( SME- LC) to facilitate the SMEs to complaint and lodge FIR.

The SMEs need incentives for setting up innovative industries and import substitution industries by tariff protection.

Inclusion of SME representative on the board of SMEDA, NPO, PCSIR and SME Bank is very necessary and must be included without fail to give feedback on SME requirements.

The income tax rate must be reduced and tax exemption limit be enhanced to Rs 600000.

All SMEs must be registered and offered guidance and information without any obligation. There is need for SME export house to offer marketing global support for their wares and export procedures and internet gallery for SMEs.

SMEDA needs to be stimulated to implement the SME policy in letter and spirit.

Posted in: Press Releases