HE Qatar Minister of Business and Trade Calls for Launching Services Programmes for SMEDA

Doha, February 01 (QNA) -HE the Minister of Business and Trade Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, who is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of Qatar Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has given his recommendations to the working group in charge of the authority's affiliated development company of the small and medium enterprises to be committed to launch the programmes and services of the company before the end of the first half of this year, according to the set plan. HE the Minister of Business and Trade highlighted in a press release the ministry issued here Wednesday the outcome of the first meeting of 2012, of the Board of Directors of Qatar Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) of the progress achieved by the said company since the establishment of the said authority. The Board of Directors of Qatar Qatar Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) held yesterday its first meeting of 2012, under the chairmanship of HE Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, where a set of regulations were adopted relating to the modus operandi of the authority and the affiliated subsidiaries and approved its annual budget on part of the Board members pending to submitting it to the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment for approval. Those attending yesterday meeting also endorsed the overall strategy for financing the development company of the small and medium enterprises nding to small and medium enterprises .Such a strategy also included two progammes, namely the partial security for loans and the capital funds. The meeting also endorsed the development and training programmes within the working plan of (SMEDA) for the development of small and medium enterprises and of programmes to support entrepreneurship and enable the entrepreneurs to develop successful business plans and enhance their abilities and their skills to enable them to start and manage their work and their projects successfully. It is worth to mention that Qatar Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA) has been established as per the Emiri decision No. (17) of the year 2011. It is a government authority affiliating to the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment, and has an independent legal personality, and a budget attached to the state general budget. The authority aims to encourage entrepreneurship, and promote existing projects and increasing the percentage contribution to projects in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in accordance with the policies adopted by the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment. (QNA)