A regional meeting of the South Asian Countries’ SME Forum kicked off in Kathmandu on Saturday.

The congregate of the union of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is expected to focus on promoting SMEs’ products in the Saarc region.

The three-day meet, being organised by the Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries (FNCSI), has 14 participants from India and Bangladesh. It is expected to formulate a strategy for sustainable development of the SMEs in the region. It will also focus on identifying technical problems of the sector along with prescribing recommendations to resolve them. 

Inaugurating the meeting, FNCSI President Suresh Pradhan said the forum aims at simplifying regional trade and improving the relationship between the member counties. He stressed on the need for free flow of the SMEs’ products in the region. 

Mirja Nural Ghani Shovan, chairman of the forum, said the development of SMEs was important not just for economic development of the region, but also for improving the relationship between Saarc states. 

The meeting will also fix agendas and the date of a regional conference that is scheduled to be held in Sept in Dhaka, Bangladesh.