The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote evidence-based policy formulation, data sharing and strategic collaboration for the development of SMEs across Pakistan.

The MoU was signed by Ms Nadia J. Seth, CEO SMEDA, and Muhammad Sarwar Gondal (S.I), Member (SS/RM), Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, on the sidelines of DataFest 2025. 

CEO SMEDA Ms Nadia J. Seth said the collaboration is aligned with the SME development vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to be implemented under the supervision of SAPM Mr Haroon Akhtar Khan and Secretary MoI&P Mr Saif Anjum for employment generation, industrial development and export promotion through evidence-based SME development initiatives.

She observed that improving the availability and use of SME-related data will enable more targeted policy interventions, strengthen business support programs and help identify opportunities for growth and competitiveness across key sectors.

The collaboration will also include capacity-building trainings, workshops and consultations to support data-driven decision-making for SME development.

This year’s PBS DataFest covered themes of Vision of Uraan Pakistan; Disaster Risk and Climate Resilience; Data for Growth and Investment; Health, Education and Resource Distribution; and Data Ecosystem, AI and Communication.

SMEDA also set up a stall at DataFest 2025, where the team equipped the visitors with information about key initiatives to advance Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s vision of empowering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through financial literacy, access to finance, tech-driven upskilling and climate resilient solutions.