RAWALPINDI
\nSpeakers at a World MSMEs Day event highlighted the pivotal role of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in driving economic growth, innovation and employment, calling for enhanced collaboration to further strengthen the sector.
\nThe session was organised by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) in collaboration with the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) to mark World MSME Day 2026 here on Saturday.
\nRCCI President Usman Shaukat, who was the chief guest, said that MSMEs were the backbone of Pakistan\u2019s economy and a major source of job creation and innovation. He stressed the need for closer coordination between public and private sectors to unlock the full potential of small businesses.
\nMSMEs key driver of economic growth; speakers on World MSME Day
\nDistrict Officer SMEDA, Asghar Nasar, highlighted the significance of the day and briefed participants on SMEDA\u2019s mandate, services and ongoing initiatives under the Ministry of Industries and Production.
\nHe said that SMEDA was facilitating entrepreneurs through business development services, policy advocacy, access to finance, export support, cluster development and capacity-building programmes.
\nSenior Vice President RCCI Khalid Farooq Qazi, Vice President Fahad Barlas, Chief Manager State Bank Rizwan Khaleel Shamsi, along with representatives of trade bodies, financial institutions, academia, women and young entrepreneurs attended the session.
\nParticipants appreciated SMEDA\u2019s role in strengthening the MSME ecosystem and providing a platform for stakeholder engagement.
\nDuring the interactive session, stakeholders discussed key challenges faced by MSMEs, including access to finance, business formalisation, export development, regulatory issues and digitalisation, besides other district-specific concerns.
\nParticipants also shared recommendations aimed at improving the business environment and enhancing the competitiveness of local enterprises.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RAWALPINDI Speakers at a World MSMEs Day event highlighted the pivotal role of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in driving economic growth, innovation and employment, calling for enhanced collaboration to further strengthen the sector. The session was organised by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) in collaboration with the Rawalpindi Chamber of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":476530,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-553256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\n