SMEs offered funds, skill development

The federal government has offered funds and skill development programmes to enhance exports of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan met on Friday with representatives of K-P SME clusters. The meeting was also attended by acting Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) CEO Nadia, the additional secretary industries and production and director general to the SAPM.

While sharing the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for micro, small and medium enterprises, Khan stated that the PM envisioned aligning SMEs with modern technology to enhance productivity and competitiveness.

"Small businesses are the backbone of economic growth, employment generation and export promotion," he said and emphasised that the PM was committed to empowering women through entrepreneurship and skill development to achieve inclusive economic progress.

The special assistant noted that no country could achieve sustainable economic development without strengthening its SMEs. He assured entrepreneurs that the government was facilitating SMEs through banks and collaborating with international consultants to introduce best practices.

During the meeting, Smeda pointed out that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed with Mobilink, enabling online bank registration through smartphones for SMEs.

Representatives of the SME clusters underscored the need for government support for the K-P furniture sector and highlighted the immense export potential of the province's honey industry.