The Pakistani government has launched three special funds to promote small-sized enterprises (SSIs).
The Asian Development Bank credit guarantee fund (US$75m), the government of Pakistan business development fund (US$100m) and a fund launched through the Rural Support Program (RSP), donor agencies and Smeda for technology, marketing information and innovation (US$100m).
Addressing a function organised in connection with the launch of a book called 'Unlocking the Potential of Small Enterprises for Economic Development', the advisor to the prime minister for finance, Dr Salman Shah, said that in the past there was minimum institutional support for small enterprises.
He said the present government has adopted a five-point economic strategy with small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as a central element for industrial development with a focus on agriculture, industry, telecommunications and information technology (IT) and services.
