PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar here on Wednesday urged industrialists and businessmen to benefit from the Economic Revitalisation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata (ERKF) project to achieve its objectives and strengthen local economy.

The seminar was arranged by the ERKF for awareness regarding the project for the Industrial Association Peshawar (IAP) here in Industrial Estate, Hayatabad on Wednesday.

Besides officials of the ERKF project, Smeda senior manager Rashid Aman, Industrial Association Peshawar chairman Zarak Khan, vice chairman Haris Mufti and a representative of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Management and Development Company (KPEZMDC) also addressed the participants, especially industrialists.

ERKF PU-Smeda project manager Asad Mehmood highlighted the grants available under the project, eligibility criteria and formalities for it.

He said the applicant SME’s owner should be the citizen of Pakistan doing business in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata and that the SME in question should be affected directly or indirectly by the conflict or natural calamities.

The project manager said the applicant SME should have employed the minimum of three people, including owner, or the maximum of 200 people, should have begun operation on or before May 1, 2014, should produce the evidence of doing business for at least one year, shouldn’t be a bank defaulter when it was operational and should have not received or denied grant under the ERKF-I programme, and that the SME business should not be on the official negative list showing arms and ammunition, explosives, radioactive substances, security printing, alcoholic and beverages.

Mr Mehmood urged participants to take full benefits of the project and thus, helping strengthen local economy.

The Smeda senior manager briefed participants about the authority’s initiatives for the promotion and development of SMEs in the province.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2017