PESHAWAR: Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority has established a help desk to facilitate the business community regarding the financial grant for promotion and expansion through value addition of the textile industry.
SCCI president Fazal Moqeem Khan along with vice president Shehryar Khan inaugurated the help desk here on Monday.
On the occasion, chartered accountant Muhammad Ahmad Shahid, Syed Ejaz Ali Shah, Kamal Mehmood and officials of Smeda were present.
The matching grant is being provided under the Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) of the ministry of Commerce, implemented by Small and Medium Enterprises and Development, aimed at providing financial assistance to more than 1000 industrial stitching units to revive the textile industry.
Fazal Moqeem lauded the announcement of a matching grant for industrial stitching units, terming it as a milestone initiative toward revival and development of the textile industry. Textile industry is rapidly on the decline under the prevailing circumstances, the SCCI chief noted, stating that a number of industrial units were closed and triggered unemployment in the province.
Fazal Moqeem stressed the need for announcement of such a grant for other sectors, including CNG and petroleum to reactivate the business, industry and trade. He viewed that employment opportunities would be created through promotion of economic activities and industrial growth.
The SCCI president asked the business community to take full benefit from the matching grant for  expansion and improvement of business and industry. Fazal Moqeem emphasized that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should also take such an initiative to keep the spinning wheel of industry in the province.
He demanded of the government to announce a special fiscal relief package for sick and non-operational textile and other industrial units. Later, officials comprehensively briefed the SCCI chief about the matching grant.
It is worth mentioning here that a number of members of the business community visited the chamber and got information about the grant.
