KARACHI: Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, Usman Dar, assuring the fullest opportunities under ‘Kamyab Jawan Programme’ to youth of Sindh, on Tuesday said that Rs5 billion had been disbursed in Sindh out of Rs10 billion of minimum disbursement target of current financial year for the province.
SAPM Usam Dar while addressing a press conference along with Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, here at Sindh Assembly Building, said that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government was ensuring institutional arrangements for youth development alongside their engagement at all levels.
He said that as many as Rs100 billion has been earmarked for disbursement of loans to youth of Pakistan in the ongoing financial year and Rs32 billion had been issued to thousands of entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and contribute in government’s efforts aimed at sustainable economic development of the country.
The federal government wanted to expedite Kamyab Jawan programme in Sindh and in the first phase of Kamyab Jawan in Sindh, Karachi’s youth was focused upon while the next phase will include rest of the Sindh, he said adding that Kamyab Jawan’s business loans scheme has so far disbursed Rs3 billions among young entrepreneurs of Karachi alone which resulted in establishment of 600 plus startups and creation of over 3000 jobs for the youth of the metropolis. He said that over 5000 retail outlets including grocery, garments and other commodities, had started their business across the country. Under the initiative, 1200 retail outlets had to begun business in Karachi and a number of them had already opened up despite difficulties arising out of Covid-19 pandemic, he added.
“Under Kamyab Jawan’s Skills for All project, we have also launched various youth engagement projects with a total cost of Rs4 billion”, Usman Dar said adding that under the project, 7000 plus scholarships amounting to Rs43 million has been awarded in Sindh.
Usman Dar further added that Kamyab Jawan Innovation League is also designed to engage youth in exploring and exploitation of enormous opportunities in Information Technology sector. The SAPM for Youth Affairs also said that under the project titled Kamyab Jawan Markaz, youth development centres would be set up in 108 public sector universities across the country to facilitate over 2 million university students and scholars. These centres will provide multiple services to students including career counselling and access to various opportunities in both public and private sectors, he added.
Kamyab Jawan is a transparent programme having a financially prudent mechanism and with all its data available online and made public for accountability, he said and added that previous government used to put forward politically motivated programmes of meagre cash assistance and narrow scoped vocational training programmes which only offered skills like plumbing and electrician but PM Imran Khan has presented a programme that enables youth to benefit from high skill training in modern technology.
Kamyab Jawan programme is determined to engage, educate and empower youth through initiatives like business loan programmes, skill for all scholarships and positive youth engagement through National Youth Council, he stated.
He stressed on Sindh government to step forward and join hands for the welfare and progress of youth of the province instead of impeding the opportunities being provided to the youth just for the sake of political antagonism as they were doing in case of issuance of Health Card to people of Sindh.
Usman Dar said, under the sports talent hunt project, a trial of football players is being held at KPT ground for final selection of players from the 100 short-listed aspirants, adding that the selected young players would be trained by St Patrick Club and they would also be sent to Ireland for training.
Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly and senior PTI leader Haleem AdIl Sheikh speaking at the occasion highly appreciated the initiatives launched for youth employment under the umbrella of Kamyab Jawan Programme and said that new vistas of career development were opened for the youth.
It was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that confidence was entrusted in youth of the country and they were being assisted to start up their own businesses, he said adding that youth of Sindh should avail the business loans which were being provided in transparent manner purely on merit.
Haleem Adil Sheikh said that Rs5 billion were disbursed to 2819 young entrepreneurs of Sindh so far under the initiative. He said that besides disbursement of Rs3 billion to youth of Karachi, Rs800 million were disbursed in Hyderabad division, Rs390 million in Larkana division, Rs32 million in Sukkur division, Rs25 in Shaheed Benazirabad division and Rs13 million in Mirpurkhas division in Sindh.
He said that federal government also disbursed Rs60 billion under Ehsas Emergency Cash Assistance to people of Sindh and issued Health cards to citizens of under developed Tharparkar district.
On the other hand, Sindh government was reluctant of issuing health card to people of the province and was hampering their access to better health facilities, he noted.