RIGHT STEPS TOWARDS POVERTY ALLEVIATION

The PTI government took yet another significant step towards poverty alleviation and amelioration of the indigent and poor through the launch of EhsasKafalat Card inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on 31 January. Under the new initiative Rs.2000 monthly cash payments will be made to seven million women envisaged to benefit from it. Coming under the umbrella of Ehsasprogramme it boasts of major differences with the earlier BISP initiative. To ensure that unlike BISP only the deserving women benefit from it the survey methodology has been revised to enable the ongoing identification of beneficiaries through desk registration. Also a new system of payment has been installed, cash transfer has been increased and it offers digital and financial inclusion opportunity to women by providing better access to mobilephones. All beneficiaries will be able to access the payments at special ATMs and bank branches and will also have option to deposit funds into saving accounts. The Prime Minister also broke of news of launching another similar initiative within the next two weeks under which cows and buffalos will also be distributed among deserving women to empower them economically. Building shelters for the homeless and launching of EhsasSailanilangars and distribution of health and ration cards among poor are other commendable steps in regards to mitigating miseries of the masses. Though they seem small steps but they will have wider social and economic impact leading to improvement in the lives of the less privileged segments of the society. In regards to encouraging entrepreneurship and employment, the KamyabJawanprogramme– a component of Ehsasprogramme– is a very significant step. The loans given under it will help youth to establish small and medium enterprises generating thousands of jobs. The progamme funded by UNDP envisages advancing of interest free loans up to one hundred thousand rupees among the weaker segments of the society in 45 less developed districts of the country. The other two categories include loans up to Rs.500000 and Rs.5 million. The youth will not only be provided money to start their own businesses but they would also be assisted through online feasibility studies carried out by the government to make their choices regarding the type of business they would like to undertake. The other hall mark of the programme is that women will have 25% quota in it. The KamyabJawanprogramme will be supplemented by HunarmadJawan ( skilled youth) initiative launched by the Prime Minister onJanuary 9 which is designed to prepare youth for employment at home and abroad by imparting training and education in high-tech and emerging technologies. These two measures are essential ingredients of promoting entrepreneurship. An incisive appraisal of the developed countries reveals that their phenomenal economic growth was propelled by entrepreneurship, which is rightly regarded as a key to economic prosperity. Entrepreneurship is the capacity and willingness to start a new business venture and the hallmark of entrepreneurial spirit is innovation and risk taking. Countries like USA, Japan, Denmark, Germany,Taiwan are quintessential of the role that entrepreneurship can play in the economic development of a country and therefore are role models for other nations aspiring to achieve self-sustained growth in the ever increasing competitive global market. Entrepreneurship therefore has rightly been called an engine of growth.In Pakistan the government employs only 7-8% of the labour force. So like all other nations the only option available to it is to propel economic activity in the private sector through encouraging entrepreneurship in regards to the establishment of small and medium size business and industry by making available necessary resources and technical know-how to the youth entering the labour market. Entrepreneurship serves as a channel for spillover of the knowledge acquired in one organization and becoming commercialized through innovative activity in a new startup. The new startups ensure that the costly inventions and creative ideas created in one industry or business concern are shared, commercialized and converted into innovative pursuits which not only revolutionize those industries but also spur economic growth, job creation and development of a competitive culture within the country. The youth are the future of the country. Engaging them in productive pursuits and self-employment avenues is the best insurance against poverty and an indispensable guarantee for economic prosperity. The country can move forward only when there are greater employment opportunities in the private sector. Pakistani youth are around 40% of the total population and any move that ensures and guarantees their gainful employment is bound to accelerate the process of economic progress due to its multiplier effect besides enhancing tax revenues of the government that this newly initiated economic activity will generate. The measures initiated by the government are meant just for that. Availability of financial resources and technical know would enable youth to start their own businesses. Others would be able to find gainful employment in the country and abroad. Skillful youth means prosperous Pakistan.The successful implementation of the programmes will surely put Pakistan on the path of sustained economic development. Apart from providing an enabling environment for promoting entrepreneurship the government has also decided to fill 129,301 vacant posts in the federal ministries and Divisions within four months as per the directive of the Prime Minister. That will also improve employment situation in the country. Honestly speaking, the foregoing irreproachable steps not only confirm the commitment and dedication of the PTI government to take care of the poorer sections of the society but also its resolve to implement its welfare agenda irrespective of the economic difficulties faced by the country. There is no denying the fact that to stem the rot in the economy the government had to take some tough and harsh decisions which created difficulties for the masses due to their inflationary impact. However it is encouraging to note that the government has been able to stabilize the economy as a result of the taken steps and now there are positive signs about its revival. One, therefore, has to give credence to the claims of the Prime Minister that better times were ahead.To promote well-being of the people and ensuring increased employment opportunities for them is the prime duty of any incumbent government. The PTI government seems moving in the right direction in that regard.