ISLAMABAD: The formulation of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Competitive Strategy for Sindh began on Tuesday at a meeting chaired by the provincial Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah.

The SMEs development strategy has been designed by the Department of Indus­tries and Commerce and initiative supported under technical assistance from the International Trade Centre (ITC) through its Growth for Rural Advance­ment and Sustainable Pro­gress (GRASP), a project funded by the EU.

The Sindh Provincial Working Group for the development of SMEs, at its meeting in Karachi, approved a technical paper setting the strategic orientations for the strategy. The orientations are based on thorough analysis of SME performance using results of a SME competitive survey, quantitative analyses, and bilateral meetings with key institutions.

A press release issued by the Geneva-based ITC said that the strategic orientations for the SME strategy are also derived from consultations held November last in Karachi and Hyderabad with more than 200 public and private stakeholders from agriculture, manufacturing and services sectors of Sindh.

Chairing the meeting of the provincial working group in Karachi, Mr Shah said he was encouraged by the progress and was optimistic that the strategy will encapsulate the rural SMEs in addition to those based in urban areas. The Sindh chief secretary described it to be the cornerstone of the plan to build a conducive eco-system for SMEs in close collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2022