Razak for supporting SMEs sector, facilitating 'ease of doing businesses'

ISLAMABAD: Advisor to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood Friday expressed the government's desire to support the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector and facilitate 'ease of doing businesses' in Pakistan

He said this while a delegation of Peshawar Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (PCSTSI) called on him, said a press release.

In the meeting, the PCSTSI proposals for documentation of the economy were appreciated and the chamber representatives were briefed on the initiatives that were being taken by the government on the subject.

The office bearers and representatives of the chamber briefed the advisor on their activities and plans for support and development of the SMEs sector.

The basic issues highlighted by the chamber related to having a representation in policy making for the SMEs sector and across the board implementation and enforcement of tax regime within the provincial areas as well as within the merged areas of FATA.

It was stated that disparities in the tax laws and non-enforcement of the Sales tax regime encouraged disparities between tax filers and non-filers which needed to be removed.

Appreciating the efforts of the government towards anti-smuggling, the desire to enforce IPR enforcement all across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as well as Pakistan was endorsed.

The issues relating to packaging and labelling requirements along enforcement of regulatory requirements for the FMCG sector for both MNCs and local corporations/companies were also discussed.

The chamber also requested the advisor to support their efforts for provision of free land so that the chamber could set up its offices in Peshawar and also set up incubation and training centers for SMEs development in Peshawar, which could cater to the demand of KP province.