KARACHI: President FPCCI Irfan Iqbal Sheikh has extended his full support from the platform of FPCCI for joint programmes under Prime Minister’s Youth Programme (PMYP) such as business and agricultural loans, skill development programme and employment generation.

He added that youth is Pakistan’s greatest asset and they account for 65 percent of the total population of the country. Additionally, we should also not forget to educate, empower, employ and emancipate the young women as women are 52 percent of Pakistan, he added.

Shaza Fatima Khawaja, SAPM to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs, said that youth Programme is the soul of Prime Minister’s vision to empower youth being the most precious asset of Pakistan.

The journey started with the establishment of Youth Affairs Wing to empower young people with skills set, resources and self-reliance opportunities by initiating a grand youth development programme catering multiple domains.

Suleman Chawla, FPCCI Senior Vice-President said that FPCCI is the right platform on many counts to support PMYP: (i) it can facilitate the load disbursements to youth diligently and in diverse sectors, (ii) FPCCI can provide the guidance to the youth to make their businesses viable and successful, (iii) FPCCI can jointly organize job fairs, skill development programmes and seminars, (iv) the apex body has the presence and linkages across Pakistan and across sectors to create an enabling environment in the country, (v) FPCCI can help bridge industry-academia disconnect.

Sheikh also proposed to the government that FPCCI and PMYP can bring international skills, social and business development institutions like GIZ, TVET, JICA, DFID, UNIDO, USAID, etc on board to provide maximum support and assistance to the youth of the country.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022