Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has urged the international donor organisations to extend their cooperation in implementation of SME facilitation projects to be developed by SMEDA. Khurram Khan, General Manager Central Support SMEDA, at a meeting with a delegation of Assessment and Strengthening Programme (ASP), observed that Pakistan’s SME sector required broad-based intervention for growth, which had not been possible by SMEDA in the full swing due to scarcity of funds. The funding gap can be bridged with assistance of international and local donor organisations. He informed that three important programmes had recently been launched by SMEDA by the funding of international donor agencies, that include “Early Recovery and Restoration of Flood Affected Communities Programme” and” Legal Empowerment Programme for Marginalised Businesses in Pakistan” funded by UNDP and “Economic Revival of KP and FATA” project funded by World Bank. GM SMEDA observed that there was a huge demand in the private sector for capacity building and training needs. He called upon ASP to persuade the donor agencies for joining hands with SMEDA to fill this gap in Pakistan.
Earlier, in a presentation regarding SMEDA, ASP delegation was informed that there were 26 approved PSDP projects for Rs3. 2 billion under implementation as the common facility centres for SMEs across the country.
Iqbal Ahmad Raja, Provincial Director ASP, while exchanging his views regarding SMEDA’s contributions towards SME development, said SMEDA was amongst a few government institutions which had a very good reputation among international donor agencies. He assured of his fullest cooperation to bring ASP related donor agencies on board with SMEDA for co-developing SME facilitation projects, especially in capacity building and training areas.