Islamabad, May 2,2026: Acting President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Tahir Ayub, has underscored the urgent need for targeted, SME-focused reforms, stating that the revival of small and medium enterprises is indispensable for achieving sustainable economic growth.
He emphasized that reducing regulatory bottlenecks, enhancing access to finance, and ensuring long-term policy consistency are critical steps to empower SMEs to play a more effective role in strengthening the national economy.
He expressed these views while interacting with a visiting delegation of women entrepreneurs at the Chamber House on Saturday. The delegation highlighted key challenges confronting women-led businesses, particularly limited access to markets, financing hurdles, and insufficient institutional support.
ICCI Vice President Irfan Chaudhry stated that empowering women entrepreneurs is vital for fostering inclusive and equitable economic development. He stressed the importance of introducing dedicated facilitation mechanisms, expanding capacity-building initiatives, and creating stronger networking platforms to enable women-led SMEs to grow and compete effectively.
ICCI Executive Member and Chairperson of the International Diaspora and Human Rights Committee, Ms. Shumaila Siddiqui, highlighted the significant contribution of women entrepreneurs to the country’s economic progress. She assured the delegation of ICCI’s full support in addressing their concerns and facilitating ease of doing business for women-led enterprises.
ICCI Council Member Masud Chaudhry, Executive Members Ms. Fatima Azim, Zulqurnain Abbasi, Malik Aqeel, Waseem Chaudhry, Ishaq Sial, ICCI Member Israr Mishwani, Ms. Saddaf Asim Abbasi, Ms. Saba Raja, Ms. Nageena Khalique, and others also shared their perspectives on the subject.
The visiting entrepreneurs appreciated ICCI’s proactive role in providing a platform to voice their concerns and urged policymakers to take concrete, result-oriented measures to resolve the challenges faced by women-led businesses.
