Plan being drawn up to take SMEs to global markets

Dutch expert helps SMEDA in consultation process, finding obstacles

LAHORE: The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda), which promotes the cause of small business units, is designing a long-term programme to help SMEs enter the international arena after meeting global market standards.

Smeda’s Directorate of External Relations Incharge Sheharyar Tahir, in a meeting, revealed that in order to draw up the plan, a joint fact-finding mission of Smeda and PUM, a Netherlands-based expert organisation, had gathered input from stakeholders of the SME sector. The mission engaged in consultative sessions with a cross-section of trade bodies.



He said Odulfus Van Summeren, a senior PUM expert, had been working with Smeda to push ahead with the consultation process and outline the impediments weighing down the evolution of SMEs in Pakistan.

For this purpose, Smeda has organised various industry visits for an in-depth analysis of the structure and processes of industrial units.

Taking advantage of the Dutch cooperation, Smeda also arranged counselling sessions with start-ups, business incubation centres and chambers of commerce to discuss their constraints and offer on-the spot practical advice based on expert experience.

In the meeting, Smeda CEO Sher Ayub told the External Relations Directorate to ensure early implementation of the programme in order to achieve the desired goals.

He voiced hope that the programme would enhance the capability of SMEs and enable them to export goods and add to the country’s export revenues.

PUM is a non-profit organisation established in 1978 by the Dutch employers’ federation with financial support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs that has assisted over 40,000 organisations worldwide.

The organisation has more than 3,000 highly experienced businessmen and professionals that provide services all across the globe.



Local trade bodies hope that Smeda’s collaboration with PUM will enhance the export capability of SMEs through implementation of a well-built programme, which would become a source of substantial increase in foreign exchange earnings.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2017.

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