Assistance package: PM aide discusses relief for SMEs

Says the main focus is to ensure that the workers associated with these small businesses are not laid off

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh chaired a meeting to deliberate the contours of a financial assistance package for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.

According to a statement issued on Thursday, the assistance package will explore possibilities of supporting those formal or informal SMEs, which have 5-30 employees and have suffered losses due to the lockdown.

“The main focus of the scheme is to ensure that the workers associated with these small businesses are not laid off because of unsustainability of the business,” he said.

Ways and means to support those firms to continue their production and to enable them to pay their fixed costs and support their workers were discussed in detail. During the meeting, the imparting of basic IT-related skills to smaller businesses was also discussed. It was also agreed that the cooperation of Smeda and the Punjab IT board would be sought to implement the package. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2020.

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