Govt to facilitate SMEs growth, ease of doing business: Tarin

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Assures fertilizer industry of resolving problems on priority
ISLAMABAD
Adviser to the PM on Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin has said that the government is keen to provide a conducive environment to facilitate small and medium enterprises (SMEs) growth and ease of doing business.
The adviser said this while chairing a meeting to review the SME Policy on Monday. Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Adviser to PM on Commerce & Investment Abdul Razak Dawood, secretary finance, secretary commerce, secretary I&P, chairman Federal Board of Revenue, governor State Bank of Pakistan, CEO Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda) and senior officers attended the meeting.
Highlighting the importance of SMEs in the economic and social development of the country, Tarin said the government will take all necessary steps for growth of SMEs. He emphasised to make Smeda more effective and fully functional in order to cater to the SMEs and increase the penetration of the regional SMEs across the country.
The secretary industries & production briefed the meeting on the proposed SME Policy and the concerns of stakeholders on key policy recommendations in regulatory and tax environment, SMEs access to finance, institutional strengthening of Smeda and SME development fund. He said the proposed policy has been designed to increase SMEs’ contribution to the economy.

The meeting deliberated in detail the concerns of all stakeholders to agree to the framework of the policy to reach consensus.

Separately, holding a meeting with a delegation of fertilizer industry on Monday, Shaukat Tarin emphasised that the industry should continue to play its due role in providing urea to the farmers at the most reasonable prices.

Federal Minister for Industries and Production Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, Member Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and senior officers attended the meeting.

The adviser assured the delegation that the fertilizer industry’s problems will be resolved at top priority as the government appreciates the critical role of industry in the economic progress of the country.

He listened to all issues keenly and issued orders for resolution of the problems indicated by the delegation to enable the fertilizer industry to play its due role in fostering the national economy.

Earlier, the delegation thanked the adviser for providing a coordination platform to the fertilizer industry for resolution of industry’s issues and highlighted the positive role of the government in keeping the prices of urea in Pakistan at low level as compared to the international market for the benefit of farmers. The delegation apprised the adviser of various issues in the industry and sought help from the government to address these issues. They also thanked the adviser for cooperation and addressing the issues positively. TLTP