Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro has said the country’s
biggest asset is its human resource that can be nurtured through
generating employment it poses the biggest challenge for the
economy.
He was addressing a function of the National Bank of Pakistan
(NBP) here on Saturday. The bank invited him as a chief guest
to hand over keys of rickshaws to NBP clients who have obtained
vehicles through NBP’s Karobar scheme launched by the
bank under the President Rozgar Scheme.
The prime minister said the second challenge of the country
that is facing is low level of living standard, it could be
improved by enhancing education and health standards and developing
infrastructure of the country.
He said: “The government was making efforts to correct
the supply of gas and electricity, which would improve the
business climate of the country. Increase in business activity
would ensure employment generation and we would provide investor-friendly
atmosphere in the country.”
He was of the view that schemes provided by both SME and
commercial banks, like NBP Karobar, would increase business
activities and help in creating jobs. He praised NBP for introducing
NBP Karobar scheme and appreciated its role in helping Khushahali
Bank to develop microcredit scheme.
On the occasion, he announced that loans up to Rs 700,000
would be provided to unemployed people to buy pick-up vehicles
and a notification in this regard would be issued soon. “The
government was considering providing taxis on loans,”
he said.
Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool said President Rozgar Scheme
has been successful and it has provided jobs opportunities
to unemployed, and all applications have been considered on
merit.
He requested both the prime minister and NBP president to
widen the scope of the scheme that would finance unemployed
to buy pick-up vehicles, taxis and set up a workshop. NBP
President Syed Ali Raza said President Rozgar Scheme is based
on public-private partnership and it provides jobs to unemployed.
He said the NBP took the initiative in April 2007 when it
launched NBP Karobar Scheme, and in the first three months
it had 5,000 clients, in the next three months a number of
clients increased to 15,000 and up to December 2007 the number
was 45,000. “In the next five years, it is estimated
that NBP Karobar would have two million clients, which means
two million people would be employed,” he said.
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