The PTI Government is reviewing an ‘Employment Generation and Empowerment’ framework comprising of the “Naya Mazdoor” initiative for the working class of Pakistan, according to sources close to the development.

The multi-faceted plan will provide a 360-degree solution revolving around six key areas for workforce development in Pakistan: business development, employment, empowerment, welfare, reforms and labour laws implementation. The Naya Mazdoor initiative has also attracted the interest of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) for future collaborations.Pakistan currently ranks 8th on the Global Slavery Index and 134th on the UN’s Global Sustainable Development Goals Index and the plan contributes towards achieving 9 out of those 17 goals.

Although the current PTI Government initially announced a job creation target of 10 million, Pakistan has the potential of surpassing this by making sustainable investments in workforce development combined with smart data analysis. According to the proposed plan, the federal and provincial governments will be working together to utilize the full potential of Pakistan’s workforce and their skills effectively to not only boost economic activity but also increase remittances and attract investments. It will enable local and international firms including key industry players interested in setting up operations in Pakistan, with readily-available, skilled manpower including those with a wealth of vast overseas experience.Following the incumbent government’s agenda of emerging technologies, the ‘Employment Generation and Empowerment’ framework will use digital disruption and transformation as a stimulus, to create an eco-system of government departments, regulators, agencies, financial watchdogs and companies that connect various government bodies to Pakistan’s workforce to ultimately enhance e-governance in the country.

The conceptualization and implementation of the Naya Mazdoor initiative comprises of the following salient features and benefits:

• Skill mapping, geo-mapping, up-skilling, re-skilling and extensive certified skill categorization for local and international employment.
• Data mining, analytics, and business development to boost employment generation
• Tax visibility and avoidance of tax evasion to boost revenue, tax collection, exports, and incentives for industries
• Work plan, collaboration and facilitation to over 15 federal and provincial ministries and departments, in addition to technical skills, training and labour related institutions and departments across Pakistan.
• Development of a nationwide and overseas workforce digital database via registrations, direct, through call centres and volunteers.
• Feedback, reporting and labour helpline for both local and overseas workers.
• Wage protection systems.
• Inclusion of missing registrations nationwide into social security net e.g., EOBI, social security and worker welfare funds.
• Special focus on jobseeker exploitation for local and migrant workers, and workplace exploitation including child and bonded labour.
• Swift resolution of overseas workers’ immigration issues and rescue/repatriation directly via government-to-government liaison
• Curb corruption in government institutions and departments through labour reform
• Innovative systems that facilitate employers with smart manpower management and reduce overhead costs, project delays, worker turnover and skill drain during downtime.

The Employment Generation and Empowerment Plan along with the Naya Mazdoor Initiative Proposal has been in motion for review and approval by the Government since April this year. It has also been shared with the Ministry of Overseas, Youth Affairs, NAVTTC and CPEC for the need of a collaborated effort to address issues such as labour exploitation and demand for manpower overseas and locally in industries such as textiles, construction including CPEC, Naya Pakistan Housing and other nationwide mega projects.