Traders have urged the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) to resume the free legal aid committee and upgrade it on the pattern of Citizens-Police Liaison Committee (CPLC).
Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) Chairman Zulfikar Thaver underlined that SMEDA should set up an SME Liaison Committee on the pattern of CPLC to act as a bridge between small/ medium sized entrepreneurs and government departments/ agencies.
Highlighting the importance of effectively linking the sector with the government departments, he requested SMEDA to set up a free legal aid sub-committee under the proposed liaison committee.
He recalled that SMEDA was running a free legal aid committee before.
An attempt was made to discontinue the committee by the then acting CEO of the authority, Pervez Elahi, in 2011, he said.
Later, the idea of shutting down the legal aid committee was dropped due to strong objections by the members, he said.
However, due to less staff and heavy workload, it was later discontinued, he lamented.
He requested SMEDA to revive the free legal aid committee for the benefit of the SMEs.
“We volunteer to run it ourselves, we just need guidance and support ,” Thaver emphasised. “We simply need desks in SMEDA offices across the country.”
SME expert Assad Chauhan underlined that “SMEs are facing rough treatment at the hands of several agencies, who behave like policemen rather than friendly regulators”.
He held the view that the SME Liaison Committee was necessary because of the dictatorial style of the officers, which has damaged the growth of SMEs “as they are now hesitant to expand or modernise”.
He said that due to multiple acts, rules and regulations, SMEs were forced to spend sufficient time to learn and remain cautious of their timely fulfillment.
“The SMEs cannot miss out on any of them and if one is overlooked or omitted, the businessmen are compelled by some corrupt officers to pay bribes even if the law simply states that a warning is sufficient,” Thaver said.
“In some cases, the mistake can even be condoned but the SMEs have to suffer at the hands of such officers,” he lamented.
The liaison committee could play its role effectively by shielding the entrepreneurs, he said.
Likewise, the committee could prevent disregard of law, rules and regulations, he added. Thaver said that the committee could also arrange/ manage collective guards and watchmen in industrial areas and impose stringent security measures.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 6th, 2022.
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