SMEDA and Extreme Commerce to Train SMEs for E-commerce on National and International Platforms.

DNA

Islamabad, PK – 16 June – The Small and Medium Enterprises Authority SMEDA and Extreme Commerce has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to empower the local SMEs to benefit from the Ecommerce initiatives and opportunities available for the Pakistani enterprises. The partnership will also enable the local businesses to take advantage of the global ecommerce platforms by providing them necessary education and training as well.

SMEDA has been mandated to encourage SMEs to benefit from the digital transition and this partnership will enhance this effort, so more SMEs can reach out to more customers by enhancing their productivity and increase operational efficiencies.

The partnership was signed through an MOU signed at the Governor House Sindh earlier this week. In his message Governor Sindh, congratulated the Government of Pakistan for the initiative and appreciated the Ministry of Industries and Production for focusing special attention through SMEDA for enabling local SMEs to take the fullest benefits from the global trade opportunities available on Amazon. He said that SMEDA had planned to take special initiatives to develop e-commerce as a full-fledge sector.

CEO Extreme Commerce Sunny Ali, in his address, said that MOU with SMEDA would at one hand help SMEs build a better understanding of the dynamics of global market places and at other empower SMEs to get started for selling products and services on Amazon and also on other similar platforms, that is something very much needed for the Pakistani SMEs, as this will help them get skilled and open global markets for them leading to potentially a Billion Dollar economy for Pakistan by 2025.

Both the organizations have committed to conduct online and offline awareness sessions for the SMEs owners to make them aware about the binits of Ecommerce. In this regard market-oriented skills development programs/trainings/boot camps will be conducted as well.

CEO SMEDA Hashim Raza, speaking on this occasion, said that “SMEDA is planning to launch a sustainable programme for enhancing access of SMEs to world markets through Amazon and other leading platforms. He said we are going to take all leading firms supporting E-Commerce into loop to enable SMEs of Pakistan for availing the highest benefits out of the government of Pakistan’s official arrangement with Amazon”. He further said, “The first MoU signed with ‘Extreme Commerce’, is focused on skills development and capacity building of SMEs on E-Commerce”.

A journey towards digital transition can be a difficult and complicated task for the SMEs, this partnership will ensure handholding and mentorship services for SMEs to get started on their digital transitions, to enable their products and services on the available Ecommerce platforms etc. 

Pakistan has an approx. 3.2 million SMEs. SMEs constitute nearly 90% of all the enterprises in Pakistan; employ 80% of the non-agricultural labor force; and their share in the annual GDP is 40%, approximately. However, unlike large enterprises in the formal sector, a small and medium enterprise is constrained by financial and other resources. This inherent characteristic of an SME makes it imperative that there should be a mechanism through which it may get support in different functions of business including technical upgradation, marketing, financial and human resource training & development.

To build a knowledge platform, that can enable new thinking and innovation for the SME Ecommerce approach, both SMEDA and Extreme Commerce will be working with the academic and research institutions across Pakistan and beyond. This will also encourage and motivate the students and fresh graduates for Ecommerce business start-ups.

Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), is premier institution of the Government of Pakistan under Ministry of Industries & Production. SMEDA was established in October 1998 to take on the challenge of developing Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan. With a futuristic approach and professional management structure it has focus on providing an enabling environment and business development services to small and medium enterprises. SMEDA is not only an SME policy-advisory body for the government of Pakistan but also facilitates other stakeholders in addressing their SME development agendas.

Extreme Commerce is Pakistan’s first EdTech start up with a sole focus on skills development and capacity building within the ecommerce and digital arena. Founded in 2017, it is the largest community of its kind in Pakistan, with well over 735,000 members to date and with over 100+ courses and income streams to choose from. We estimate that by 2025, our community will be 1 million strong, generating well over $1 billion in inward remittance for Pakistan.