Barriers to the Growth of Small Firms in Pakistan: A Qualitative Assessment of Selected Light Engineering Industries

Nazish Afraz (), Syed Hussain () and Usman Khan ()
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Nazish Afraz: Adjunct Faculty, Department of Economics, Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan.
Usman Khan: Adjunct Faculty, Department of Economics, Mushtaq Ahmad Gurmani School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Pakistan.

Lahore Journal of Economics, 2014, vol. 19, issue Special Edition, 135-176

Abstract: This article identifies constraints and barriers to growth for small firms in Pakistan, a survey of the existing literature and through in-depth interviews with a sub-sample of firms in two important SME sectors, that is electrical fans and sporting goods. Policy recommendations for the SME sector include addressing problems in contract enforcement (such through alternative dispute settlement mechanisms), promoting R & D through linkages with academia locally and research institutions globally, simplifying of the tax regime to encourage transparency, resolving the energy crisis and rationalize power tariffs, increasing the availability of credit to SMEs (allowing alternative forms of collateral). In addition, more detailed recommendations specific to the fan and sporting goods sectors are also offered.

Keywords: Pakistan; SMEs; light engineering; constraints; electrical fans; sporting goods. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L10 L60 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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