Karachi, July 22, 2018 (PPI-OT): The Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME) felicitated the Institute of Business Management (IoBM) on the introduction of Master of Business Administration (MBA) course for SME finance and entrepreneurship at its faculty at main campus at Korangi Creek. President UNISAME Zulfikar Thaver congratulated the dean Prof Dr Syed Irfan Hyder on the initiative and said the two in one MBA in SME finance and entrepreneurship will go a long way in encouraging the youth to become skillful bankers or entrepreneurs having knowledge of entrepreneurship and finance both.
This masters degree would serve the needs of all sectors. He wished other institutions would follow and offer degrees in entrepreneurship and SME finance. He said UNISAME will contact other institutions and impress upon them to have courses on SME finance and entrepreneurship with the support of industry. He said with high unemployment, there is need to motivate the youth to learn entrepreneurship. Self employment is the best answer to unemployment. He offered help to the students completing the course to approach UNISAME for placement in industries.
Simultaneously the senior bankers promised placements for those seeking bank jobs. They even offered to give voluntary lectures at IoBM on the subject of SME financing. He urged the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) to conduct sessions at IoBM on drafting business plans for submission to banks by loan applicants.
Thaver suggested to include farming in the fold of entrepreneurship and value addition of farm products which has vast scope. He said the SME farmers can grow maize and add value to maize by making products of maize. Likewise there is scope for tea, olives and other items.
Imran Ahmed Additional Director State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) who presided over the session asked the officials of the IoBM to include supply chain, cash flows and risk management chapters in the course. He also insisted on inclusion of women entrepreneurship topic. All participants agreed that the banking industry has a growing need for trained officers in SME financing.
Prof Syed Irfan commented on value addition and it’s importance in entrepreneurship as critical for the promotion of entrepreneurship. Meezan Bank by virtue of its keen belief in the superior goals of the sector is playing a vital role at the IoBM. A senior official informed that they have signed MoU with IoBM. The other banks which expressed deep interest in the sector and the IoBM programme were Habib Bank Ltd, Muslim Commercial Bank and First Women Bank. Tazleen Arsalan head of department at IoBM gave a presentation on the curriculum which opened discussions among courses on bankers and faculty officials.
For more information, contact:
Union of Small and Medium Enterprises (UNISAME)
75/1 3rd Commercial Street,
Phase IV, D.H.A., Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-35884225-6
Fax: +92-21-35380642
Cell: +92-300-8245307, +92-321-8245307
Email: unisame@gmail.com
PPI News Agency