Small businessmen and unemployed youth have responded overwhelmingly to National Database Registration Authority's (Nadra's) e-Sahulat franchising project. According to details available here on Thursday, in the first week of its launch alone, 3,300 applicants applied for e-Sahulat.
Nadra plans to establish 10,000 outlets of e-Sahulat for which further applications have been invited. The 'Nadra e-Sahulat' project has been introduced to eradicate unemployment from the country. It is aimed at providing the unemployed youth in particular and the business community in general with more business opportunities.
The project is designed to enhance services-outreach for the citizens particularly of the underprivileged areas to bring faster market access through an established channel by offering technology and business opportunities in rural areas as well as in the cities.
Under the scheme, franchisees will collect utility bills, dispense pins for scratch cards (mobile phones, calling cards) and will also be able to carry online verification (verisys). The franchise of e-Sahulat is being offered top motivated and energetic businesspersons on a prepaid basis.
The e-Sahulat project, with all the regular kiosk functions is first-of-its-kind in Pakistan. It can be operated from any PC anywhere. The scheme is being offered for all the cities and towns of the country where dialup or WLL or similar telecommunication technology is available.
The franchisee would be obliged for the acquisition of a shop and its subsequent maintenance, manage day-to-day operations, provision and maintenance of last mile media connectivity, ensure customer care and convenience, undertake local publicity and material required to attract customers.
Franchisee will charge his/her prepaid account by depositing cash of his/her choice to any specified Nadra Swift Registration Centres (SRCs) and designated banks and will carry transactions till the usage of that credit.
Nadra would provide finger print scanner and kiosk software, backend support, including software and networking support. Training of franchise personnel, advertisement and promotional support of e-kiosk value addition by bringing additional products on board. Both male/female matriculates possessing necessary computer knowledge are eligible for the scheme.