Daily Times

As a biggest incentive for youth in the country’s history, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday announced allocation of Rs 100 billion for startup loans and 170, 000 Skilled Education Scholarships to overcome the challenge of unemployment.

The prime minister, in a special televised message for youth, said the government was focused on promoting contemporary skills through scholarships and courses in a bid to help youth become self-reliant in earning and businesses. The prime minister said out of the 170,000 scholarships, around 50,000 would be reserved for high-end skills such as latest technology including artificial intelligence and big data.

Those who qualify on merit such six-month scholarship courses will become part of the technology revolution the country is heading to, he added. Imran Khan said the government, through Kamyab Jawan, would extend soft loans worth Rs 100 to youth and encourage them launch startups and businesses of their own. Terming unemployment as a huge problem, he said the government would increase fund allocation for the special incentives of youth every year. He pointed that the youth needed to diverge their energies on learning skills to become self-reliant rather than desiring the government jobs. He said the government could not afford more public jobs as already the pension bill was adding to the financial burden. The world over, he said, the private sector jobs, self-business, small and medium enterprises and start-ups are the solution to unemployment, he added. Imran Khan expressed hope that youth would fully benefit from the two projects announced by the government and tap the immense opportunities in diverse fields.