The government has launched five-year self-employment scheme at a cost of Rs 12 billion. The scheme would provide employment opportunity to 1.8 million people between 18-40 years of age.
State minister for finance Omar Ayub Khan in his 2006-2007 budget speech said under self-employment programme the government would provide loans to unemployed people to establish small scale businesses. They could start mobile utility stores, franchise utility stores, transport and other businesses with the help of these loans.
He reiterated the programme would start from July and loans would be available from the National Bank of Pakistan. The government would share the risk of these loans, he added.
The state minister said the government would further bear half of the mark-up and the amount of insurance on loans.
He further said this scheme would create many jobs within a six-month time, and believed an estimated 1.8 million people would benefit from it.