LAHORE: Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) on Monday initiated a nationwide consultation process to solicit inputs for the Federal Budget 2018-19 by approaching around 250 SME stakeholders including SMEs, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, trade associations and sector development companies.

According to Smeda officials, stakeholders had been asked to send their recommendations regarding taxation tariff, regulatory procedures and any other issues limiting SME progress by this month’s end.

The received budget recommendations would be submitted to Ministry of Industries and Production (MoI&P), Ministry of Finance and Federal Board of Revenue for inclusion in the budget 2018-19.

Meanwhile, Smeda CEO Sher Ayub said that Federal Budget and Trade Policy had become the most important policies reshaping the business environment landscape in instantaneous terms in Pakistan and profoundly affecting SMEs and their growth pattern.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2018