Business
SMEs offered funds, skill development | The Express Tribune
Six-month training programme will start in August. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
The federal government has offered funds and skill development programmes to enhance exports of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) operating in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan met on Friday with representatives of K-P SME clusters. The meeting was also attended by acting Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) CEO Nadia, the additional secretary industries and production and director general to the SAPM.
While sharing the vision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for micro, small and medium enterprises, Khan stated that the PM envisioned aligning SMEs with modern technology to enhance productivity and competitiveness.
“Small businesses are the backbone of economic growth, employment generation and export promotion,” he said and emphasised that the PM was committed to empowering women through entrepreneurship and skill development to achieve inclusive economic progress.
The special assistant noted that no country could achieve sustainable economic development without strengthening its SMEs. He assured entrepreneurs that the government was facilitating SMEs through banks and collaborating with international consultants to introduce best practices.
During the meeting, Smeda pointed out that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) had been signed with Mobilink, enabling online bank registration through smartphones for SMEs.
Representatives of the SME clusters underscored the need for government support for the K-P furniture sector and highlighted the immense export potential of the province’s honey industry.
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Crunch talks between resident doctors and the Government are set to continue in a bid to avert strike action.
Sir Keir Starmer has given the resident doctors committee of the British Medical Association (BMA) a deadline to reconsider a deal on pay and jobs which includes an offer of thousands of extra NHS training posts.
It is understood the proposal will be removed from the deal if resident doctors in England press ahead with a six-day strike from April 7 in a row over jobs and pay.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chairman of the resident doctors committee of the union, said: “It is wrong for Government to withhold desperately-needed jobs as part of negotiating tactics.
“Anyone who works in the NHS knows that patients need these 4,000 jobs created as soon as possible.
“We made that very clear to Government in our meetings today.
“We are not interested in arbitrary deadlines – we will be looking to get this dispute ended right up to the last minute.
“We believe there is a deal there to be done if Government is willing to withdraw the changes it made at the last minute that reduced the funding for pay rises. Talks continue.”
It comes as senior medics announced they were escalating their disputes with the Government.
Consultants and other senior doctors are to be balloted on industrial action after ministers announced they would be getting a 3.5% pay award.
Simultaneous ballots of consultants and specialist, associate specialist and specialty (SAS) doctors will run from May 11 until July 6.
Addressing resident doctors, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote in The Times: “The truth is this: no-one benefits from rejecting this deal.
“Resident doctors will be worse off. Instead of improved pay, progression and support, they will receive the standard pay award this year, with none of the reforms that would have strengthened their working lives.”
The deal sets out a minimum of 4,000 new additional specialty posts to be delivered over the next three years.
NHS England boss Sir Jim Mackey confirmed the offer to expand training places will “come off the table” if an agreement is not reached.
The walkout, which is due to run from 7am on April 7 until 6.59am on April 13, will be the 15th round of strikes by resident doctors in England since 2023.
In a letter to health leaders, Mike Prentice, national director for emergency planning at NHS England, wrote: “We expect this round to be challenging as there is a shorter notice period, bank holidays within the notice period and the action itself falling during the Easter holidays.
“This will represent a significant strain on staffing resources to provide safe cover.”
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