ISLAMABAD, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that the country has been taking steps to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to enhance exports and drive economic growth.
"Globally, SMEs play a key role in the development of the economy, and the first priority of the incumbent government is to facilitate and promote SMEs to encourage the country's workforce for opting entrepreneurship," Sharif said while chairing a meeting on SMEs.
The prime minister said that the country has been striving to empower youth and women entrepreneurs so that they not only earn themselves, but also create more employment opportunities, adding that a special package is being prepared for women entrepreneurs to increase their participation.
Commenting on the measures taken by the country to facilitate SMEs, he said that loans for SMEs were made easier so that maximum SMEs could improve their business and benefit from the loan facility, while stressing the importance for the completion of a detailed survey of SMEs across the country for providing improved facilities.
"In order to harmonize the facilities given to SMEs with international standards, it should be ensured that the models of developed countries are applied," he added.
Besides that, the premier said that a financial literacy and training program for SMEs will be launched in February, adding that apart from that, another program will be released this year to introduce SMEs to modern technology. ■
