ISLAMABAD, (Web Desk): Prime Minister Imran Khan launched on Thursday the ‘Kamyab Jawan Programme’ under which the country’s youth would be provided loans to start their own businesses.
Addressing to the launching ceremony at Islamabad’s Jinnah Convention Centre, PM Khan said the most important thing in the programme was merit. “It is the most important thing for a nation to make progress,” he said.
The prime minister said these loans would be provided only on merit and no other means would work in this regard.
“[We] will grant loans even to Fazlur Rehman’s supporters, if they fulfilled the criteria of merit,” he remarked.
PM Khan said neither there was merit in Pakistan nor was corruption eliminated in the past. “But now we are bringing meritocracy and uprooting corruption,” he said.
The prime minister urged the youngsters to be ambitious, saying, “Only the one who thinks big makes progress.”
He also said if the nation wanted to become self-reliant then the people would have to pay taxes.
Speaking at the event earlier, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar said the premier gave the young people representation in the parliament and his cabinet.
“He has shown us the right direction,” he remarked. “We have to thank PM Kan for the work that he has been doing and taking the country forward.”
Briefing media about the programme, Dar said the programme focuses on ensuring employment opportunities for the young people and providing them platforms to excel.
The programme comprises of two categories. In the first category, the youth will be given loans from Rs100,000 to Rs500,000 to start their own businesses while in the second category, the youth will be provided with loans from Rs500,000 to Rs5 million.
The meeting was told that the guarantee of a third person to get a loan has been abolished in the Kamyab Jawan Programme and the youth can directly secure loans from the banks through the portal. In the first phase, the National Bank, Bank of Khyber and Bank of Punjab will provide direct loans.
Under the six flagship initiatives under the Kamyab Jawan Programme, the ‘Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme’ will provide subsidised business loans to young aspiring entrepreneurs for the promotion of SME sector.
The ‘Skill for All Programme’ will impart technical and vocational training to 150,000 youth, both in conventional and high-end technological trades.
The ‘Startup Pakistan Programme’ will train potential young entrepreneurs to help them conceive, incubate, and mature their business plans through access to digital incubation platforms.
The ‘Green Youth Movement’ will provide small grants to Pakistani youth to bring economic innovative solutions to tackle environmental and climate crises.
The ‘Internship Programme’ will be for undergraduate and postgraduate students to facilitate their active participation in the private sector.
The ‘Jawan Markaz’, a one-stop solution for youth-related issues at the grassroots level, will not only provide access to sports and other youth engagement activities but also provide them with career counselling, mentoring and access to a host of digital services.
