Unisame express disappointment over delay in SME Policy

KARACHI: The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (Unisame) has expressed disappointment and surprise at the unnecessary delay in the approval of the SME Policy, a statement said.

The SME sector is anxiously waiting for the policy and assurances are being given for the last couple of years that it is on the anvil and ready to be declared anytime.

Unisame president Zulfikar Thaver said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had made a coordination committee and there was another steering committee and an advisory committee and yet it had omissions, as pointed out by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet, which is unfortunate.

Despite support from the USAID the government has so far failed to prepare the SME Policy for the last three years. It would have been better if the old policy was revalidated with modifications, he added.

Thaver said that the intentions of all the policymakers is good beyond doubt but the sector is suffering due to delay in the promulgation of the final policy.

Some experts felt the delay was just to gain time owing to the unavailability of funds were unavailable and the omissions pointed out were just an excuse.

The Unisame Council (UC) has urged the policymakers not to delay the policy and complete it immediately to felicitate the Small and Medium Enterprises.

The council has again reiterated that the policy needs to include all the requirements of the sector, including affordable finance facilities, energy at affordable cost, an SME institute, marketing support, duty exemptions on imported raw material of export-oriented industries, an SME Ombudsman, a value addition bureau to fill the technological gap and above all, a strong Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Trade Abdul Razak Dawood had emphasised the creation of an export culture and it would be wise if the policymakers also include his idea and set up an SME Export Promotion Bureau with an SME portal to enable them to exhibit their products in the global markets.

There are many geographical indication items, which need export promotion and the bureau could lend valuable support in the fulfilment of the export culture agenda, which must be included in the policy, he added.

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