Sindh Enterprise Development Fund (SEDF) is a unique and bold initiative of the Government of Sindh which will go a long way introducing value-addition technologies in the rural economy and in enhancing the income of farmers and job opportunities in the rural areas.
This was stated by Muhammad Zubair Motiwala, Chairman Sindh Board of Investment (SBI), who was chairing the meeting of the SEDF Board. He said it was only Sindh Government which had introduced subsidy on finances meant for the processing plants for agriculture products; fisheries and livestock including poultry.
The projects which intend to put up value-addition processes in agro-processing fruit processing, Livestock and dairy processing are offered financial subsidy through SEDF whereby the KIBOR part of interest is paid 100 percent, through this fund, making the financing almost interest free for three to five years.
The Board approved seven different projects for subsidised financing which include (i) Tomato Paste & Fruit Pulping Plant, Gadap Town,(ii) Al-Saeedi Cold Storage, Ghotki, (iii) Reliance International Commodities Exports (Rice), Larkana, (iv) MFY Poultry Farm, Gadap Town, (v) ECH Poultry Farm Hyderabad, (vi) ECH Poultry Farm Tando Allahyar and (vii) Dairy farm Extension by Dairy Land Dhabeji. In addition to these, the Board also approved five Dates Processing Plants in principle for Khairpur/ Sukkur region.
Earlier, SEDF Secretary informed the meeting about the recommendations made by the Appraisal Committee regarding these projects.
It was also decided that SEDF will provide KIBOR subsidy for the three years initially which may be extended for two more years. The meeting was attended by SBI Secretary Sindh Mohammad Younus Dagha, Shahida Qaiser of TDAP, Abbas Akber Ali and Usman Ghani Khatri members from the private sector.-PR