A delegation from the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), led by Chief Executive Officer Nadia J. Seth, visited the headquarters of the Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) to explore a digitally enabled, end-to-end facilitation ecosystem for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), according to a post by PDA on LinkedIn. The delegation was received by PDA Chairperson Dr Sohail Munir and the authority’s technical team. The meeting looked at ways to simplify business processes and improve access to essential services and opportunities for entrepreneurs. The two organisations agreed to improve technical coordination and to work jointly towards a user-centric digital ecosystem that supports SMEs throughout the life of a business.
Six areas were discussed. They are the development of a digital SME facilitation platform, the integration and improvement of SMEDA’s existing SME registration system, and interoperability among government registration and taxation systems. The talks also covered improving SME bankability and access to finance, connecting SMEs with private-sector service providers, financial technology firms, and digital business solutions, and the development of a minimum viable product (MVP) with a phased implementation roadmap. An MVP is the simplest working version of a system that can be tested with real users before more features are added, so the plan points to a gradual rollout instead of one large launch. The post does not give a timeline, a budget, or a date for the MVP.
The proposal builds on SMEDA’s existing digital tools. Its SME Registration Portal offers free registration, which SMEDA presents as the first step to formalisation and access to advisory services, training, and networking. In December 2025, SMEDA and the International Labour Organization (ILO) launched a national roadmap for SME and worker formalisation, which includes an SME One Window Initiative to ease registration and compliance. The roadmap was introduced against a background of widespread informality, with Express Tribune reporting that informality among SMEs had reached 84 percent and ILO figures cited at the launch putting 44 percent of the economy in the informal sector. Seth has said that informality limits access to finance, markets, and international value chains.
Bankability is a recurring theme in SMEDA’s work. Seth has said that improving access to finance is a strategic priority in the authority’s business plan and that SMEDA is preparing entrepreneurs for bank financing through financial literacy, formalisation, and advisory support. Linking registration and tax records through shared digital systems could give banks and fintech companies a clearer view of a small business’s activity, which is one reason interoperability featured in the discussion. PDA, which leads work on the country’s digital public infrastructure, has been holding consultations with provincial bodies and other agencies on its National Digital Masterplan. The post describes the initiative as aiming to use digital technology, institutional collaboration, and private-sector partnerships to promote SME formalisation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable business growth, but it does not say which agencies besides SMEDA and PDA will take part in the platform.
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