UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS CONSULTANTS SUBMIT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MICRO SECTOR

Islamabad, April 25, 2013 (PPI-OT): The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and the United Nations Development Projects (UNDP) together with Mazars their consultants held a workshop at a local hotel to acquaint the stakeholders about the recommendations for the uplift of the micro sector.

Zulfikar Thaver member board of directors SMEDA welcomed the participants and invited the consultants to inform the participants the steps taken to collect the data and method used in the analysis of the data and the recommendations.

He said the micro sector is the biggest sector next to the small sector and deserves the best attention and suggested widening the scope of SMEDA to serve the micro sector just like the SMEs and appreciated the good work of Mazars and accepted the recommendations with promise to press for early implementation and for forwarding it to the SMEDA chief executive officer Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera for best implementation after consultations with the ministry of industries.

He pointed out that facilitating the micro sector with training and providing micro credit are the key issues and the responsibility of the state. He called for training for development of skill in different trades to enable the micro entrepreneurs to increase their earnings.

He expressed sorrow that the average income of the micro entrepreneur is hardly Rs 400 per day and in the present days of inflation most of them are finding it hard to survive. SMEDA and the UNDP need to work hard on this and every effort must be made to ensure decent living for the micro entrepreneur with the help of the non government organizations and the philanthropist he added.

After a presentation by Mustafa Bhaiwalla head of technology services Salahuddin Hyder on behalf of Mazars submitted the recommendations under a 10 point agenda for improving the facilities to the marginalized sector.

He submitted the recommendations of spreading awareness, deepening communication levels, improving governance, training, setting up of help desk, micro credit, sustainability, accountability, collaboration and setting up of zonal hubs.

SMEDA’s team of managers namely Shaheen Ahmad, Feroz Ahmad, Sadruddin Jatoi, Uzair Ahmad endorsed the recommendations of Mazars.

Private sector stakeholders Muhammad Amin Bawany, R.S.N. Janjua, M.Ali Rashid also supported the recommendations with amendments and their expert opinion on making life easy for the micro sector to make them comfortable in an harsh environment where the policemen, district government and marketing committees try to impose upon them.

UNISAME representatives Kazim Khandwalla suggested one window operation for the micro sector to facilitate them under one roof rather than making them run from pillar to post.

Likewise Mushtaq Moledina and Munaf Bawany also stressed on need to eucate the micro sector about their rights and duties and suggested to offer them free legal advice at help desk.

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