The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) has welcomed positive steps taken by Salim Mandviwalla Minister of State for Finance and Chairman Board of Investment (BoI) in abolishing minimum limit of investment to accommodate SMEs who play an important role in the development of the national economy.

President Unisame Zulfikar Thaver thanked Chairman BoI for his personal initiative and interest for including SMEs in the investment policy and plans to set up Special Economic Zones (SEZ) for promotion of local industry, attracting foreign investment and employment. The SMEs surely consider this as an opportunity and intend to work in this direction to benefit from the facilities provided under the policy. The exemption of duty on import of machinery and 10 years tax exemption are very encouraging features and would go a long way in the promotion of investment in the SEZs, he said.

He urged the minister to facilitate import of technology and also import of alternate energy generation plants from China. He requested minister to expedite finalisation of investment policy and Exim Bank to enhance scope of investment policy. The union invited the attention of Salim Mandviwalla to their long outstanding demand of sufficient industrial estates with state of the art facilities in every province to enable the SMEs set up new industries and units for agricultural produce and to promote setting up of industrial estates.on the outskirts of the urban areas touching rural areas to utilise arid land between the cities and the villages lying underutilised.