Speakers stress govt patronage for SMEs

KARACHI - Despite having major share in the countrys economy, the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
are not being paid due attention and help by the government.
However, SMEs of country are contributing 60 per cent share in private sector jobs, 50 per cent in total sale and
30 per cent in export, but it has not turned into formal sector due to lack of leadership and management skills,
information technology and literacy, financial and human resources.
These views were expressed by financial experts, bankers, and researchers while addressing 3rd SME
Conference titled 'Sector Recognition & Financial Challenges held here on Saturday.
The conference was organised by Shamrock in a joint collaboration with National Bank of Pakistan, First
Women Bank Limited, SMEDA and UNISAME, which was attended by about 250 delegates from govt
regulatory bodies including banks, financial institutions and trade bodies.
During the conference, eminent speakers from numerous organisations, institutions and banks presented their
papers subjecting to the current scenarios and development methodologies regarding SME sector.
Menin Rodrigues, President and CEP of Shamrock Communication, in his opening remarks, emphasised the
importance of the SME sector and urged the govt to give more recognition to this sector.
SMEDA CEO Shahid Rashid while speaking on the occasion, informed about the steps taken by government to
develop and encourage the SMEs.
During daylong conference, speakers said that the contribution of SMEs to Pakistans economy, employment
and poverty reduction can be seen from the fact that the SMEs employ to some 78 per cent of non-agricultural
labour force of the country. Despite negligible policy support, the small-scale sector was able to register an
impressive growth rate of 5.06 per cent during 1950-2003, they said, adding that SME sector has virtually
existed in the shadow of large scale-manufacturing sector.
Shafqat Sultana, President/CEO First Women Bank Limited in her paper, entitled Enabling a Quantum Leap in
Women Entrepreneurship, said that women in the developed world make a large and often well-recognised
contribution to their countys economic growth and play a vital role in the development of emerging market
economies world-wide.
Quoting the statistics, she said that in advanced countries like the US, there are estimated 6.2m firms led by
women which accounting to 28pc of all the firms in that country and these women led owned firms employ 9.2m
people and generates $1.15 trillion in sales.
Citing the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs world-wide, she said that limited legislation regarding
womens contractual rights, limited access to education opportunities, cultural factors, societal views and
perceptions, limited access of women to management training and relevant jobs and family responsibilities can
be the only way to their balanced role for development in the society. Engr Zafar Chaudhry, MD Pakistan
Systems Registrar, in his presentation on 'Hindrances for SMEs, highlighted the importance of SME sector and
said it contributes 60pc in private jobs, 50pc in generation of sales products, 30per in direct export and shares
10pc in fdi.
He pointed out that there is need to bring change in mindset at planning and policy levels to grow SMEs.
KCCI President Anjum Nisar said that credit flow towards industries, especially for SMEs, is very low. He said
that Pakistani exporters are not getting true worth of their products due to continuous devaluation in Pak
currency.
Meanwhile, Sindh Minister for IT M Raza Haroon, Ahsan Elahi of NBP, Sohail Hassan of AF Ferguson Price
water house Coopers, Zaman Gulzar of PTCL, Faheem Ahmed of JCR-VIS Credit Rating Ltd, Mazhar Iqbal
Shaikh of SGS Pakistan, Lubna Asrar Siddiqui, CEO HYACINTH, Mujeeb Baig of Dawood Islamic Bank,
Saleemullah of SBP, Faisal S Khan of OVEX Technologies and others also spoke on the occasion.