KARACHI, Jan 13: The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority has been urged to come up with a plan for profitable self-employment occupations for overseas Pakistanis who are losing jobs due to recession and are planning to come back to Pakistan with their life-time savings.

Zulfikar Thaver, President, Union of Small and Medium Enterprises, invited the attention of the authority to the fact that many Pakistanis are losing their jobs due to downsizing by foreign financial and commercial institutions and are returning home with hopes that they could do their own small businesses.

He disclosed that the union has received many enquiries from prospective investors who are asking about the functions of the authority and what it was doing for newcomers and whether it was aware of the fact that those who have lost their jobs are desperately looking out for income-generation occupations.

He said that the authority should organise training programmes for small investors and provide vocational guidance in the different fields of services, trading and industry to accommodate victims of recession.

He said there are many avenues in services, trade and industry and the authority should identify profitable ventures in agro-based industries, energy, foodstuffs, leather and synthetics, especially value-addition items.

He said that there was room for value-addition in many commodities, such as spices, wheat, rice, pulses, vegetables, fruits and flowers and the Authority can play an important role in guiding prospective investors.