ISLAMABAD: The Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (WCCI) Peshawar Division has called for the introduction of a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) Certification to strengthen women’s participation in Pakistan’s formal economy, during a meeting with Federal Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb in Islamabad.
A delegation led by WCCI President Ms. Quratulain, along with Senior Vice President Ms. Zara Imtiaz and Secretary General Ms. Saba Hidayat, met the finance minister to discuss policy reforms aimed at improving access to finance, public procurement opportunities, and institutional support for women-led enterprises. The discussions focused on expanding economic inclusion and creating structured mechanisms for recognizing women-owned businesses.
Push for formal certification and procurement access
The Chamber proposed a formal WOSB certification system to be issued through women’s chambers of commerce. According to the delegation, such a framework would help verify genuine women-owned enterprises and ensure targeted access to tax incentives, government support programmes, and gender-responsive budgeting initiatives.
The delegation also urged the government to introduce preferential procurement quotas for certified women-owned businesses in federal projects, arguing that reserved participation in public procurement would help strengthen women-led SMEs and improve their role in formal markets.
Wider reforms for women entrepreneurs
The WCCI delegation raised several additional concerns, including improved access to credit, dedicated financing lines, subsidized industrial plots, and greater representation of women in corporate and public sector boards. They also called for inclusion of women entrepreneurs in international trade delegations and business-to-business engagement platforms.
Institutional challenges related to tax processes, SECP procedures, and regulatory coordination were also discussed during the meeting.
Finance minister assures policy support
Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb acknowledged the contribution of women entrepreneurs to the economy and reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding their participation in economic decision-making.
He said efforts would be made to improve access to credit through risk-sharing mechanisms, consider subsidized industrial plots, and encourage greater representation of women on boards and trade delegations. He also emphasized that issues of harassment in tax administration would not be tolerated and reaffirmed ongoing tax reforms aimed at improving transparency and ease of doing business.
The meeting concluded with an agreement to continue engagement between the Ministry of Finance and WCCI Peshawar Division on reforms supporting women-owned enterprises and broader economic inclusion.
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