SMEDA launches pro-poor project in association with UNDP

Sunday, March 17, 2013 
From Print Edition

KARACHI: The Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (Smeda), Ministry of Industry has initiated a project ‘Supporting Pro-Poor Governance for Legal

Empowerment of the Poor (Right to do Business)’ in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Under the project, base line study for need and impact assessment was conducted by the consultant. The aim of the study is to identify the legal services’ support needs of small and informal businesses.

President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver said in a statement that the union appreciates the efforts of Smeda and UNDP and expressed confidence that the consultative workshop being organised to share, deliberate and review the base line study to support the marginalised businesses in the Sindh province on 18th March, 2013 would prove fruitful.

He said UNISAME would participate with a strong delegation and play its role and provide input on the needs of the sector and the shortcomings of the present system.

The sector needs legal empowerment and education about its rights and duties.

The small and micro entrepreneur belongs to the majority sector and contributes to the economy and serves society as well by catering to their requirements and it is incumbent upon the government to facilitate the micro and small sector and make life easy for them.

Sadruddin Jatoi, provincial coordinator of Sindh Pro Gole/ER UNDP/SMEDA, said though legal services are being delivered or facilitated by different institutions such as Smeda, bar councils, local governments and chambers of commerce and industries. The baseline data will, therefore, bring forth a sound basis for initiating the legal empowerment process under the project.

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