Lahore, August 28, 2023 (PPI-OT): “Entrepreneurship” has been included in the National Single Curriculum of Pakistan as a compulsory subject for grades 9-12 to develop the country as an enterprising nation. It was disclosed by Mr. Farhan Aziz Khawaja, Chief Executive Officer of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) while addressing as Keynote speaker at International See Pakistan Conference organized by Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) the other day at Lahore Expo-Centre. Address of Welcome at this occasion was delivered by Prof. Dr. Sumaira Rehman.
CEO SMEDA said that inclusion of Entrepreneurship will help promote entrepreneurship culture in our society, right from the school level. In tandem, entrepreneurship is also being inculcated in our students through encouraging “sports entrepreneurship” on the lines of the professionally managed football leagues around the world. SMEDA’s Sports Industries Development Center (SDIC) is leading this effort with pioneering work in Sialkot, he added.
SMEDA CEO, emphasizing upon women’s economic empowerment, said, Women entrepreneurship is important for Pakistan’s economy for several reasons, particularly because given their share of the total population i.e., 48.7%, the country ranks abysmally much lower on the Global Gender Gap Index at 145 out of 146 countries. As per the recent estimates, there are around 3.2 million women engaged in entrepreneurial activities which if given equal participation can be increased significantly and add up to $28 trillion or 26% to our annual GDP by 2025, he said adding that at present our female labour force participation stands at 21.4% which must reach at least 45% to meet the country’s growth targets and foster a more dynamic and sustainable economy. He informed that SMEDA was working to formulate an exclusive Women Entrepreneurship Policy and Action Plan in collaboration with the Asian Development Bank. This program aims to establish women-centered legal and regulatory frameworks, enhance gender-responsive credit delivery, and improve women entrepreneurship skills and opportunities, he said.
CEO SMEDA invited students of the universities to avail of the handholding service of SMEDA for implementation of their innovative business projects. He told that was dedicated to promoting e-commerce startups and connecting SMEs to local and global markets. Through competitive engagement with Business Development Service Providers, SMEDA offers online training and incubation support for e-commerce business development, he added.
CEO SMEDA extended a heartfelt congratulation to Prof. Dr. Sumaira Rehman, Rector Superior University for organizing a wonderful conference and exhibition to project Pakistan’s soft image through academic, cultural and entrepreneurial presentations.
For more information, contact:
DGM (Admin. and PR)
Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA)
4th Floor, Building No.3, Aiwan-e-Iqbal Complex,
Egerton Road, Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: +92-42-111-111-456
Fax: +92-42-36304926-7
Email: [email protected], [email protected]
Website: www.smeda.org.pk