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. Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) Chief Executive Officer Farhan Aziz Khawaja disclosed this while addressing as keynote speaker at International See Pakistan Conference, organised by the Association of Private Sector Universities of Pakistan (APSUP) here at Lahore Expo Centre on Monday.
He said that inclusion of entrepreneurship would 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 Centre (SDIC) is leading this effort with pioneering work in Sialkot, he mentioned. Emphasising women’s economic empowerment, Farhan Aziz said that women entrepreneurship was important for Pakistan’s economy for several reasons, particularly because given their share of the total population i.e. 48.7 percent, 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 US$28 trillion or 26 percent to our annual GDP by 2025, he said adding that at present our female labor force participation stands at 21.4 percent which must reach at least 45 percent 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 congratulated 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.
