Minister proposes SME census

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Rana Tanveer Hussain has emphasised the need for conducting a small and medium enterprises' (SMEs) census, calling it crucial for informed policymaking.

In that regard, he advised the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics to actively prioritise and expedite process for a national-level SME census.

Chairing 12th meeting of the National Coordination Committee on SME Development at the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) head office on Friday, the industries and production minister termed SMEs the backbone of economy. "The federal government is spearheading SME development to create a favourable business environment, enabling small units to address the prevailing challenges," he said.

Hussain noted that the prime minister had established a steering committee on SMEs for monitoring and tracking their development. The committee has been entrusted with the task of overseeing the initiatives and ensuring the implementation of the national SME policy. "The decisions made in coordination committee meetings are critical for SME development and all relevant departments have been advised to make every effort to implement these decisions," he remarked.