PESHAWAR: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, Usman Dar, said that transparency and merit would be the cornerstones of the Kamyab Jawan Loan Programme, adding that the government's soft loan policy for youths across the country was to make them economically independent under the scheme.

The SAPM said the programme has an integral role in the social and economic progress of youth and their social protection. He said that Prime Minister Imran Khan would inaugurate the second phase of the Kamyab Jawan Loan Programme on August 12.

Usman Dar was addressing a news conference after distributing cheques among the beneficiaries of the Kamyab Jawan Programme through the Bank of Khyber here at the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday.

SCCI president Engineer Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz, KP Minister for Finance and Health Taimoor Saleem Jhagra, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on industries, Abdul Karim Khan, managing director of the Bank of Khyber and others were present on the occasion.

A total of 954 cases have been approved by the Bank of Khyber, amounting to Rs341 million, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Rs247 million has so far been distributed to 740 people under the scheme, according to official documents.

Around 90,000 young people had applied for the programme in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which is a great manifestation of trust in the incumbent government's initiative for youth self-employment, and loans of Rs1 billion under the scheme approved in the province, the PM's aide said.

He said that from 8,000 to 10,000 youths had benefited from the scheme in the first phase in KP. The SAPM said that the employment ratio has increased because of the Covid-19 crisis. He said the markup on the Kamayab Jawan Scheme has been reduced in view of the current scenario.

Responding to questions of media persons, Usman Dar said the cases of Covid-19 had gone down significantly because of strict enforcement of policies and cooperation of the business community. He expressed the hope that the economy would soon stabilize in the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Engineer Maqsood Pervaiz urged the provincial government to allow businesses to operate on Saturdays and Sundays which would help reduce the chances of spread of Covid-19. Taimoor Jhagra said that the Kamyab Jawan Loan Programme got great feedback in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Abdul Karim Khan also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the significance of the Kamyab Jawan Loan Programme.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020