Germany Ready To Start Two Projects For Promotion Of SMEs Sector

Federal Republic Germany has proposed to start two new projects in Pakistan for promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of textile industry and enhancing employment through women empowerment

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Mar, 2023 ) :Federal Republic Germany has proposed to start two new projects in Pakistan for promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of textile industry and enhancing employment through women empowerment.

It was disclosed by a three-member delegation of the German Development Organization "GIZ (Gesellschaft for Internationale Zusammenarbeit) during a meeting with Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) here on Monday. The delegation comprised GIZ Advisors Ms. Nana Sikaba, Ms. Anke Green and Muhammad Ubaid, Component Manager of GIZ Projects. From SMEDA Ms. Nadia Jehangir Seth, General Manager Policy Panning and Ashfaq Ahmad, General Manager Central Support Division attended the meeting.

Muhammad Ubaid said that a three-year project started in the year 2021 to develop labour and environmental standards in Pakistan's textile industry would be completed by end of the current year. The project successfully aimed at improving the competitiveness of Pakistani textile and fashion industry in the world market by improving and enhancing labour and environmental standards, he added.

He said that on successful completion of the aforementioned project government of Germany had decided to initiate two new projects; the one again for raising international standards of labour environment in textile industry and the other for promoting employment through women empowerment. These proposed projects might start in January next year and would be completed by year 2026.

Earlier, SMEDA Chief briefed the delegation about Pakistan government's initiatives for women empowerment. He informed that key area of the recent SME policy had taken concrete measures to ensure key role of women entrepreneurship in the economy. Further, SMEDA was also active in formulating an exclusive strategy for development of women entrepreneurship both at provincial and federal level, he added. He said that SMEDA would focus to promote rural businesses in the coming years so as to utilize the business potential of the agricultural sector. The marginalized businesses run by rural women artisans would be formulized by SMEDA through handholding and facilitation, he assured.