By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: The deputy chief manager of State Bank of Pakistan’s Peshawar region Kamran Khan has asked the educated youth and the business community to avail themselves of the varied types of loans available with the commercial banks for promotion of entrepreneurial activities and exploit the fabulous potential of hydro power generation, mines and minerals and tourism.
Addressing a gathering of business community, the prospective enteruers and the members of civil organizations in Chitral, he said that very there was great scope of the promotion of entrepreneurship in the district but the lack of technical know-how, want of tendency among the youth to take up business as profession and above all, lack of required finances were the obstacles.
He underscored the need of sensitizing the people and create awareness among them about the availability of the soft loan facilities with both the private and the public sector banks for small and medium enterprises working under the guidelines of SBP.
Mr. Khan regretted that the prospective businessmen who were holding back for want of finances and proper guidance were not aware even of the organization of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) and the loan facilities available with the banks on easy terms and achievable easily.
He appreciated the emerging role of the newly established Chitral Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the vibrant leadership of its founding president Sartaj Ahmed Khan and credited him with holding of the brainstorming session on entrepreneurship in Chitral for which he had to proceed here.
He said that thousands of jobs will be created in the private sector if the potentials in different sectors are developed to their full by taking advantage of the facilities of credit and guidance by the government.
He replied to the questions pointed out by the those in attendance regarding the natures of different types of loans and the procedure to achieve them as well as prospects of different sectors on which loans were easily available.
The area manager of National Bank of Pakistan Zaheerullah and president of Tajjar Union Shabbir Ahmed pointed out different issues faced by the business community in Chitral which related to SBP and pointed out the acute shortage of currency notes in Chitral which were in short supply by the central bank’s Peshawar office.
