ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a conference, while acknowledging the importance of human development in alleviating the vicious circle of poverty and unemployment has stressed the need for close collaboration between the government, the academia, and the private sector, in structuring a sustainable intervention for providing an enabling environment.
The conference titled, “Transformation of Street Vending in Islamabad and Lessons for Urban Pakistan” jointly organised by the Pakistan Institute of Development Economics (PIDE) and the Metropolitan Corporation, Islamabad (MCI) under the ambit of Ehsaas Rehribaan programme.
They said that cities are engines of growth, so as street vending and the informal economy plays a vital role, therefore, “We need to focus on human development for poverty alleviation, social uplift, and reduction in unemployment”.
The purpose of the conference was to highlight the transformation of street vending in Islamabad and its lessons for replication in urban Pakistan. Around 150street vendors received vending licenses and new eco-friendly carts participated in the conference.
A high number of officials and representatives from municipalities, government agencies, academia, microfinance banks, and civil society also attended. Dr Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on poverty alleviation was the chief guest.
Vice-Chancellor (VC) PIDE Dr Nadeemul Haque said that every country focuses on street vending businesses but this is not the case in Pakistan. As we all know the encroachment of street vending has affected every single person but those who are highly affected are the lower social class. Under the current situation, it has become difficult for them to meet their basic needs. They are even starving to death and as all the businesses are shutting down the government is also unable to focus on all these problems and to support each person for a long period of time.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Nishtar appreciated the first of its kind collaboration between the government, the academia, and the private sector in structuring a sustainable intervention for providing an enabling environment to street vendors.
She mentioned that the prime minister has been behind this initiative with his full support.
However, the success of the programme lies in the integrity of the individuals running the programme. She recognised the fact that this initiative is among the most difficult ones among all Ehsaas programmes, as it directly shakes up the status quo for saving the poor vendors from an entrenched exploitative system. It creates opportunities for livelihood and contributes to climate change efforts through solar system-fitted carts. She expressed her hope that the programme will continue with the pace to cover other areas of the city and later be replicated in other cities of the country
Zia Banday, the focal person of the Ehsaas Rehribaan programme, presented the background and progress of the programme.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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