Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan has emphasised that small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) constitute the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and remain central to the strategy for sustainable economic development.

He said the government was undertaking comprehensive measures to empower SMEs, improve ease of doing business and create an enabling environment for entrepreneurs across the country. He inaugurated the new headquarters of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) in Islamabad, which marked a significant milestone in efforts to strengthen institutional support for Pakistan’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Khan said that under the prime minister’s directives, Smeda headquarters had, for the first time, been established and made fully operational in Islamabad to enhance coordination, policy implementation and service delivery for the SME sector. He noted that Smeda had been entrusted with expanded responsibilities to facilitate MSMEs, strengthen entrepreneurship and accelerate private sector-led economic growth.