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LAHORE, Mar 08 (APP):Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has announced a major initiative to integrate women associated with cottage industries and small businesses into the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector.
The announcement was made on International Women’s Day during a review meeting on ongoing reforms under the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA), held on Saturday.
Speaking at the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for women’s economic empowerment and directed authorities to provide essential capital and facilities on a priority basis to businesswomen in the cottage industry. He also instructed measures to offer low-cost loans to women under the Youth Loan Scheme, enabling them to expand their businesses. Stressing the importance of supporting educated and skilled women, especially in rural and remote areas, he urged for initiatives that help them achieve financial independence through entrepreneurship.
The Prime Minister ordered the establishment of facilitation centers and training institutes to support women engaged in small-scale businesses and ensure their easy access to these resources. To strengthen this initiative, he announced the formation of a special committee tasked with developing a comprehensive plan for empowering women through business opportunities. The committee will soon present its recommendations to the Prime Minister.
Addressing the attendees, Shehbaz Sharif highlighted that almost half of Pakistan’s population consists of women, and the government is committed to making them economically stable through priority-based initiatives. He assured that all necessary resources and training would be provided to ensure dignified employment and business opportunities for women. He directed authorities to guarantee women’s access to facilitation centers and training programs and reaffirmed that low-cost loans would be made available to female entrepreneurs under the Youth Loan Scheme.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed on SMEDA’s initiatives for the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises. Federal Ministers Dr. Musadik Malik, Ahsan Iqbal, Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Youth Program Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan, and other senior officials were also present.