SME sector: SMEDA, CCP join hands to create conducive policy environment

LAHORE: The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) have agreed to join hands to create conducive policy environment for development of SME sector in the country.

Farhan Aziz Khawaja, CEO SMEDA and Ms Rahat Kaunain Hassan, Chairperson of the CCP in a brainstorming session, held on Monday at SMEDA head office, derived a set of common goals for economic prosperity of the country through SME development.

The others who attended this meeting from both the organizations include Nadia Jehangir Seth, GM Policy Planning division and Sheharyar Tahir, Head External Relations Department of SMEDA. The CCP Chairperson was accompanied by Ms Maryam Zafar, Joint Director of CCP on this occasion.

CEO SMEDA proposed to form a joint group for ensuring achievements of the common goal of creating level playing field for sustainable growth of SMEs in the country. He also urged to exchange the research work conducted in both the organizations.

He informed SMEDA is going to launch its latest research report regarding Income Tax Regime on SMEs at Islamabad on coming Thursday. He hoped that the report would help government to ease income tax on SMEs.

Earlier, Ms Rahat Kaunain Hassan, highlighting the vision of her organization said that CCP was striving hard to provide fair play for businesses to enhance economic efficiency and to protect consumers from anticompetitive practices.

For this purpose, she said that the Commission was trying to enforce law without fear and favour for creating a level playing field for business in the country, the biggest part of which exists in the SME sector.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023