Pakistan has perhaps one of the highest rates of unemployment in the world, and it continues to increase year by year. Shockingly, the unemployment rate has now reached 8.27%, according to the Economic Survey for the fiscal year 2003-04 released last week, with a total of the 3.72 million labour force in the country without jobs. Again, these are the official figures whereas unofficial estimates, which are generally considered more reliable, place the current unemployment rate, as well as the total population of the country, as much higher.
The government, which is principally responsible to the providing employment to its workforce, appears to be seized by the acute problem of unemployment and under-employment, and to address the issue, it has already initiated various programmes having undertaken the implementation of numerous infrastructure projects. The measures are also being adapted, through the 2004-05 Federal Budget, to create one million additional job opportunities under the Public Sector Development Program with an outlay of over Rs 200 billion.
In addition, investment in the private sector would also result in providing more employment, for which four sectors are identified, namely agriculture, housing and construction, SMEs (small and medium enterprises) and information and communication technology. Yet, these efforts may not yield the desired positive results, given the conditions, at least in the short term, and a lot more is required to be done by the government to meet the formidable challenge of unemployment.
Under the present circumstances, overseas employment for Pakistanis provides a desirable way for the government to take care, though partially but effectively, of the high level of unemployment. The government has taken salutary measures in this direction too, and has recently fixed a target of providing overseas jobs to 350,000 persons annually.
These measures include the restructuring of the institutional infrastructure on modern lines, improving the labour market's information system to develop an inventory of national manpower, undertaking international market studies to identify potential markets and strengthening the role of the Community Welfare Attaché's stationed abroad. Nonetheless, these plans have yet to be translated into actions.
There is thus an emergent need to implement the various plans towards promoting overseas employment, particularly in achieving the ambitious target of providing overseas jobs annually.
It is estimated that at present there are more than 2.5 million Pakistanis working abroad, ranging from illiterate labourers to highly qualified professionals. Middle East or the Arab Gulf Co-operation Council countries are the major market for Pakistani manpower where about 96 percent of the total of over three million Pakistanis were provided jobs in the past decades. The majority of the Pakistani workforce had gone to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, whereas the UAE was the second largest market for Pakistani labour, followed by Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. Though declining in recent years, Pakistan still has a significant share in the total migrant workforce in the Middle East, with a different proportion presently, that is the UAE (30 percent), Saudi Arabia (17 percent), Qatar (18 percent) and Kuwait (nine percent).
These states, despite current adverse policy measures, continue to offer good prospects to Pakistani professionals. Indeed, the Middle East remains the prime market for Pakistani manpower. However, the current and future requirements are those of skilled or technical persons and professionals.
These are needed in the fields of agriculture, construction, maintenance, engineering, cement, fertiliser and steel industries, oil refining, telecommunications, tourism, electronic, media, seaports, airports, highways, utilities and other infrastructure projects. Employment opportunities also exist in the professions of accounting, banking, information technology, economics, water resource management, teaching, medicine and nursing. The state of Bahrain is yet another traditional market for our workforce, where the demand of skilled manpower and professionals continues to be met by foreigners. Job opportunities are available in various sectors that include tourism, shipping, aluminium smelting, oil refining, municipal services, desalination plants, power plants, and urea fertiliser plants.
In view of the foregoing, Pakistan has to adopt a dynamic strategy, with focus on, first, consolidating and then developing its Middle East market. This it can do by matching the required job demands with suitable persons who are to be trained and groomed specifically for this market. Skilled manpower is a field in which Pakistan should have developed an edge by now. Our technical institutes and universities turn out skilled persons by the thousands these are the workers Pakistan should concentrate on. There should be a re- emphasis on promoting technical and vocational training, as there appears to be a gap in skills in the country. Teaching them value-added features should enhance their academic skill. Knowing basic languages like Arabic, English and French is a start. Familiarity with domestic conditions, discipline, teamwork and a work-oriented approach, instilled in the jobseeker, will also help. Similarly, Pakistani professionals are of considerable quality, and are qualified to help strengthen the development base of the host countries. They, however, need to observe international standards and the respective country's social and legal framework, which, at times some fail to do so.
The business of manpower export, especially in today's world economy, should know no bounds despite economic, political, and social instabilities in many countries. The world is headed towards the development of all stratas of economic well-being. Potential new markets for Pakistani manpower include any and all friendly countries that are relatively peaceful and have a future outlook on their development. We are already catering to the manpower needs of countries like Libya, Yemen, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.
These countries are satisfied with the hard work and adaptability of the Pakistani workers and may prefer to employ them for various development projects in the respective industrial, oil and non-oil sectors. These markets need to be developed further. Similarly, surplus manpower, mainly teachers, professionals and hi-tech personnel can gainfully be employed in the Republic of Korea, Nigeria, Syria, Morocco, Uganda, Kenya and Sudan. And the like, Germany, the USA and UK require a considerable number of foreign workers in the fields of IT, engineering, teaching and medicine, and our professionals can be effectively absorbed there.
To mobilise its resources, seeking a reasonable share in these markets, Pakistan however requires strategic marketing based on a thorough analysis of the economic and potential situation in these countries, as well as identifying and creating a niche for Pakistani manpower. The dynamics of the employment business, in present times, revolves not so much around the demand, but on the competition between suppliers. We face fierce competition from other developing countries in the region. Pakistani manpower has to develop a competitive edge, identifying the categories in which the nation is better placed in comparison to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc. In order to compete with these countries we may target and develop new upcoming categories and occupations, required by the overseas markets, such as, printing and packaging, aircraft maintenance, cargo warehousing, jewellery making, plantation management, hotel and tourism etc.
There is a need for the effective enforcement of Pakistan emigration laws and rules. Also, amendments in the existing rules can be made with the objective to minimise malpractice and to develop a corporate culture in business. Performance parameters for the OEPs should be defined, with benchmarks, and other aspects closely monitored, including periodic performance audit. It is also time for the government to consider the reformulation of the Emigration Policy in view of the current demographic, political, economic and technological developments in Pakistan as well as in the overseas markets.
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