Promotion Of SMEs, Women Entrepreneurs Top On SCCI Agenda

Faizan Hashmi Published April 08, 2018 | 05:40 PM

SIALKOT, April 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) ::President Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry Zahild Latif Malik has said that promotion of SMEs and women entrepreneurs was top on agenda of the SCCI.

Talking to a group of journalists on Sunday, he said that special attention had been paid by taking all possible measures for solving the problems being faced by the business community including SMEs and women entrepreneurs of Sialkot.

The business community was facing serious shortage of skilled and semi-skilled workforce, which is hindering production activities in this export hub, he said. The SCCI president disclosed that in order to cope with shortage of skilled workforce, a technology university is being established for producing skilled and semi-skilled workforce in accordance with the requirements and need of the local industry.

The SCCI president said that a 'Knowledge City' over 500 acres of land had been planned near Sambrial in which different universities including National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and National Textile University Faisalabad will set their campuses.

Sialkot is earning more than US$2 billion and strengthening the national exchequer through its exports and business community is committed to enhancing the export volume despite certain financial constrains and other issues, he pointed out.

The SCCI president said that the government should provide special incentives to encourage the export of high priority sectors like textile and clothing, surgical and dental instruments, leather products, sports goods, footwear, gems and jewelry and furniture.

Similarly, potential sectors like surgical implants, composite products, light engineering products, printing and packing, sports wear, fitness apparel, gloves and musical instruments etc., needed special focus and facilities to perform optimally, he added.

The SCCI President suggested that interest free loans should be provided to the business community for the import of new technology. APP/sar/gmf/rsd