Haroon Akhtar leads SMEDA push for rural entrepreneurs
A prime minister’s committee chaired by Haroon Akhtar Khan will deliver a four-week plan to reorganise SMEDA and widen finance and advisory support for MSMEs across Pakistan.
A committee set up by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will submit a SMEDA reorganisation plan within four weeks.
Adviser Haroon Akhtar Khan chairs the panel, which aims to widen finance access, advisory help and institutional support for MSMEs.
SMEs make up about 99% of Pakistan’s enterprises and contribute around 78% of employment, according to figures shared at the meeting.
About 4.33 million SME units are in Punjab and 1.33 million in Sindh; most are in retail and wholesale, far fewer in manufacturing.
The meeting reviewed SME support models from India, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, the US and Canada.