ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production Haroon Akhtar Khan on Wednesday chaired a meeting with SME representatives from Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), where the government pledged new measures to address logistics gaps, improve access to finance and develop value-added sectors in the three regions.
The meeting, attended by SMEDA and representatives of the regional chambers, focused on long-standing bottlenecks facing SMEs, including lack of warehousing, poor logistics, weak value-addition capacity and limited access to credit.
Officials from the GB Chamber said the region’s SMEs, despite access to natural resources, face major constraints due to the absence of warehouses and high logistical costs. They urged support for value-added products and identified strong potential in tourism, agriculture and mining. In response, Haroon Akhtar directed SMEDA to work with the GB Chamber on a feasibility study for warehouse development and stressed that the State Bank of Pakistan must enhance SME financing in remote regions.
The Mirpur Chamber of AJK told the meeting that opportunities exist for developing seafood exports through the Mangla Dam and sought SMEDA’s technical assistance. The chamber also highlighted rising international demand for AJK’s walnuts, honey and apples, and called for a dedicated Digital SME programme and easier access to loan schemes. It further urged skill-development initiatives for women entrepreneurs, particularly in fruit harvesting and small startups.
Haroon Akhtar said the government is establishing provincial-level single-window desks to facilitate SMEs and reiterated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s SME Loan Scheme would be extended to all eligible enterprises. He added that growing tourism in AJK would make a significant contribution to the national economy.
Representatives from the Balochistan Chamber underscored the urgent need to develop the provincial olive sector, noting its export potential. The SAPM said olive oil extraction and value addition could boost both domestic and international market demand. He also pointed to high-value export prospects for Balochistan’s organic dates and AJK’s organic wheat.
Haroon Akhtar directed SMEDA to maintain close coordination with provincial departments and said the government is planning an SME Expo, encouraging full participation from all clusters. The chambers jointly requested stronger state support to promote Pakistan’s organic and value-added food sectors in global markets.
