United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will extend cooperation in capacity building of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA). A USAID delegation, led by Donald R Hart at a meeting with SMEDA CEO Yousaf Naseem agreed Pakistan’s SME sector required broad-based intervention for growth, which had not been made possible by SMEDA in the full swing due to scarcity of funds. SMEDA CEO informed the delegation that SMEDA was trying to bridge the funding with assistance of the international and local donors. Under this approach three important programmes had recently been launched by SMEDA with 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.
