D-8 workshop on data collection concludes
Islamabad, Pakistan | April 21, 2007 by
The D-8 workshop organised by the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) on “Data Collection, Classification and Management of SMEs” concluded here with a consensus to develop a Common Data Bank for helping SME development process in the member countries.
Murat Alper Ozturk, Expert, Turkish Ministry of Commerce, Dr Noor Mohammad Larik, Consultant Comsats and Iftikhar Hussain, General Manager (Central Support), SMEDA addressed the two working sessions, whereas Mohammad Waheed-ul-Hassan, Director-General (EC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrapped up the whole deliberations during the two-day proceedings.
The delegates unanimously suggested pooling the best practices being exercised in the D-8 countries for development of SME sectors.
They were of the opinion that all such information and data should be made available online for ready reference and utilisation of member countries. Later, Mohammad Waheed-ul-Hassan, Director General (EC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in his address, observed that the two-day proceedings of the current D-8 workshop had paved a strong way for future cooperation amongst the member countries to achieve tangible economic gains through SME development process.
He said that D-8 forum would soon result into the Preferential Trade Agreements (PTA) to be signed in between the member countries. Once the Rules of Origins are set PTAs would start emerging, he said adding that High Level Trade Officials (HLTO) meeting in this regard is expected to take place on May 3-4, 2007.
Earlier, a report, presented by the organiser, revealed that D-8 comprising eight countries; Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Turkey, Pakistan , Bangladesh, Nigeria and Egypt were covering 13 per cent of the world’s population.
But, their share in the global trade was limited to 4 per cent only. Hence, total trade of the D-8 member countries with rest of the world amounts to $400 billion.
Given these facts, the report claimed that D-8 countries had a potential to increase this figure manifold through promotion of small and medium enterprises.
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