SIALKOT, Dec 4: The Asian Development Bank will design a comprehensive programme in active collaboration with Smeda to develop the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) of Sialkot.

The ADB’s fact finding mission announced this while addressing a meeting of local traders, industrialists and exporters at the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here on Tuesday after visiting various industrial units in Sambrial, Daska and Sialkot.

ADB’s representatives Allan Lee, Rainer Hartel and Werner Liepoch said: “We are focusing on Sialkot-based SMEs. This grand programme is being started at Sialkot as there is a lack of credit facilities in this export-oriented city”.

Trade export promotion and industries development programme would be initiated with the consultation of the government of Pakistan and private sectors.

They said under this programme the Asian Development Bank would provide all the technical and credit facilities on long-term basis.

The ADB representatives said that small scale industries played an important role in a country’s economy. These, infect, provide the base for industrial development and economic growth. Many big economies of the modern world like Japan have thriving small scale industries, they said.

In Sialkot, due to various reasons, these industries could not get due attention of the financial institutions for the provision of loans. Special attention was not focused through institutional financing so far for a well-planned promotion of small scale industries. Thus the overall investment activity in the small scale sector has continued to be marked by a slow tempo.

They said that Sialkot had been selected for launching the SMEs development programme as the city was one of the most important centres of SMEs in the country.

The ADB mission expressed satisfaction over the complete eradication of child labour from the export-oriented soccer ball industry and hailed the positive and timely measures taken by the Pakistan government in this regard.

The ADB representatives also sought suggestions from the SCCI for making the ADB’s programme successful. They also assured of every technical and financial facility to the Sialkot-based SMEs, besides introducing, soon, “Pakistan export finance guarantee scheme” to develop and facilitate the SMEs. This programme will be implemented by September next.