The Board of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has reviewed progress on the SME formalisation initiative during its latest meeting held on Sunday. The session, chaired by Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Industries and Production, also discussed proposed amendments to the SMEDA Ordinance 2002 and the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer.
Speaking at the meeting, Haroon Akhtar Khan reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the rapid development of the SME sector, highlighting SMEDA’s key role in driving industrial growth and job creation. He directed the authority to launch a nationwide awareness campaign to promote government incentives for registered SMEs and to accelerate efforts under the SME formalisation initiative through SMEDA’s online registration portal.
The SAPM emphasized that long-term financing for small and medium enterprises will be a major part of the upcoming Industrial Policy. He added that a high-level committee led by the federal finance minister has been established to promote sustainable industrial financing mechanisms across the country.
SMEDA Chief Executive Officer Socrat Aman Rana informed the Board that 13 amendments have been proposed to the SMEDA Ordinance 2002 to enhance inter-ministerial coordination and speed up approvals for SME development programs. He also shared updates on SMEDA’s participation in the launch of the OIC SME Network (OIC-SMENET) in Baku, Azerbaijan, and Pakistan’s debut at BIOPROM-2025, a leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical trade fair in Russia.
The meeting was attended by senior government officials and private sector representatives, including Saif Anjum, Secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Production; Masood Akhtar from FBR; and Ms. Aasia Saail Khan, Dr. Syed Zahoor Hassan, Mr. Mashood Khan, and Mr. Osman Saifullah Khan.