Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries & Production Haroon Akhtar Khan has reaffirmed the government’s resolve to address the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs and enable them to play an effective role in Pakistan’s economic growth. 

Addressing the heads of Women Chambers of Commerce & Industry from Sindh, at a meeting jointly organised by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), he said the government was fully committed to making women equal partners in national development by providing them an enabling environment to start, grow and scale their businesses. 

“This is part of a series of meetings being held under the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to reach out to women entrepreneurs across the country, listen to their issues and address them in a coordinated manner,” Mr Khan said, adding that the government firmly believed in equal opportunities for women in all spheres of life and stressed the need to remove structural barriers hindering their economic participation. 

“We must provide a complete ecosystem to women entrepreneurs so they can contribute meaningfully to national growth,” he said.

He directed SMEDA to lead dedicated committees in collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan, the Pakistan Banks Association and the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan to document and resolve the issues of women entrepreneurs and chambers, particularly from Sindh and Balochistan. He also called for the establishment of a mechanism to handle women's chambers’ issues on priority basis.

He further advised the heads of Women Chambers to maintain close coordination with SMEDA, which he described as a vital bridge between women entrepreneurs and national support initiatives. 

Acting CEO SMEDA Nadia J. Seth highlighted the organization’s ongoing initiatives and said work had already started on the implementation of Pakistan’s first Women Entrepreneurship Policy, which is expected to be approved soon by the federal cabinet. She also briefed the participants on SMEDA’s nationwide outreach programme aimed at expanding women’s access to training, finance and markets. 

A representative of the Pakistan Banks Association informed the meeting that despite existing challenges, banks and microfinance institutions had extended credit facilities to around 5 million women borrowers across the country. He shared that women now hold 37 percent of Pakistan’s 100 million unique bank accounts. He also announced that an SME Performance Index was being developed to improve data collection and credit assessment for women entrepreneurs. 

Ms Fatima Javaid of the State Bank of Pakistan said concessionary finance schemes for SMEs were available and women were allocated specific quotas in several initiatives, including the e-bike scheme. She added that SBP, in collaboration with SMEDA and TDAP, was actively raising awareness about available financial facilities for women entrepreneurs.