Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently chaired a meeting to review the ongoing reorganization of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), giving his final approval to a key initiative: the creation of a Womenpreneurship Platform. This new platform is specifically designed to boost women's participation in the SME sector.
The Womenpreneurship Platform: An AI-Powered Digital Hub
The approved platform will be an AI-based digital facility intended to act as a one-stop shop for women entrepreneurs. According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), its services will include:
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Providing essential business-related information.
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Assisting with company registrations.
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Offering guidance on taxation.
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Promoting skill development and awareness.
The Prime Minister praised the focus on increasing women's role in SMEs and emphasized the need to raise public awareness about the new initiative.
SMEDA Reorganization and Expansion
Significant progress was reported on SMEDA's structural changes:
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New Offices: SMEDA has expanded its reach by opening new offices in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) to support regional business growth. These openings have been positively received by the public and local chambers of commerce.
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New Leadership: A new board of directors, consisting of private sector experts, has been established for SMEDA. The selection of a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is also nearing completion.
The Prime Minister expressed satisfaction with the reforms and called for a clear timeline to be set to ensure their rapid implementation.
International Representation
Finally, the meeting confirmed that SMEDA and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) will jointly represent Pakistan at the upcoming BIOPROM-2025 event in Russia.
