Haroon Akhtar Khan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Industries and Production, chaired the 31st meeting of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority board where members approved a new organizational structure, prioritized support for SMEs, micro-enterprises, women entrepreneurs and climate-related initiatives, and agreed that the appointment of a new SMEDA chief will be finalized through a Human Resource Committee to ensure a swift, transparent and merit-based process.
The meeting was attended by Secretary of Industries and Production Saif Anjum, SMEDA CEO Soqrat Aman Rana, and other senior officials. Khan welcomed new board members and stressed that the authority’s reorganization follows direct guidance from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Under the revised structure, SMEDA will adopt an outsourcing model and place greater emphasis on policy and program design. Khan said these changes are intended to sharpen the authority’s focus on practical interventions that support small and medium enterprises across the country.
Board members agreed that SMEDA will prioritize initiatives targeting SMEs, micro-enterprises, women entrepreneurs and challenges linked to climate resilience. To extend its reach, the authority will establish regional offices in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan.
A central agenda item was the selection of SMEDA’s next chief executive. The board decided to appoint a Human Resource Committee to oversee the recruitment and to complete the selection in line with the prime minister’s instructions for an immediate, transparent process. Khan reiterated that the appointment will be strictly merit-based, with no compromise on transparency and fairness.
Khan described SMEDA as a vital institution with significant potential to stimulate economic growth and social empowerment. He said strengthening SMEDA’s capacity to support women-led enterprises, micro-businesses and the broader SME sector would have a transformative impact on the economy and society.
