LAHORE – Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is supporting to enhance women entrepreneurs at national and international level as women have great potential in business sector but they need their efforts to be recognised and channeled properly.
The authority’s CEO Tariq Iqbal Puri stated this in a joint meeting of the FPCCI (Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry) Regional Standing Committees on Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) and Special Education and Women Development at the FPPCI Regional Office.
Tariq Puri was attending the founding of Handicraft Association of Pakistan (HAP) for which MNA Ms Shireen Arshad Khan has been elected the first chairperson. The announcement was hailed widely by FPCCI members and participants from SME Committee and Women Entrepreneurs Committee as well as various universities and government departments.
Puri said women entrepreneurship was a broad subject, for which the TDAP was establishing an ‘Empowered to Research and Development Department’, therefore, “We need information data from the chambers about women entrepreneurs.”
He said it was also proposed that attendance of the next WEXNET exhibition, which was only for women entrepreneurs, to be held in Dubai, would be ensured. He added that, “It will definitely attract international customers and clients, which will be helpful for women entrepreneurs to get international exposure.” He gave the details of skill development programme, especially for ladies, so that they could produce their goods as per global markets’ requirement.
FPCCI Regional Chairman Muhammad Tariq Shafi and Vice Presidents Chaudhry Aamer Atta Bajwa and Dr Shehla Javed Akram said that FPCCI believed in collective consultation so that problems may be solved with communal approach and in the current scenario relief may be given to the business community.
They said the role of women in society could assure stability in social and economic conditions; however, there was dire need to recognize the services of women.
Giving a detailed presentation on SMEs, Dr Shehla Akram Javed said the core objective to constitute Women Chambers throughout the country was to strengthen women entrepreneurs with great wisdom. So women chambers must be taken on board while policy making transparently, she added.
Iftikhar Ali Malik congratulated Regional Standing Committees on SMEs Chairman Rehmatullah Javed and the HAP Chairperson MNA Shireen Arshad Khan for their consistent efforts to promote trade and industry especially for setting up the HAP. “We must get intentional designs, good packing and good marketing of handicraft, for which the TDAP must support the HAP,” he maintained.
The HAP Chairperson also counted her efforts for the formation of this association as registered trade body. She hoped that all the departments and trade bodies will support the HAP.
