Govt focused on promoting culture of entrepreneurship: Usman Dar

ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Youth Affairs Usman Dar said that his government is focused to promote the culture of entrepreneurship in the country under the umbrella of PM Kamyab Jawan Programme.

The special assistant was speaking to a delegation of British Council that called on him at the PM Office. The delegation included Adrian Timothy Neil Chadwick, Regional Director South Asia, Amir Hussain Ramzan, Country Director Pakistan, and Shazia Khawar, Regional Director Society South Asia.

Welcoming the delegates, Dar said that the present government has launched a landmark initiative for financial inclusion of youth through small and medium-size loans along with skills development programme, particularly in emerging fields.

He said that huge investments in youth are made to capitalise on the enormous potential of the country. “Pakistan has never witnessed this number of youth population in its entire history. We want our youth to be job providers instead of merely seeking employment after getting academic degrees”, he emphasised.

Briefing the meeting on various initiatives taken under the PM Kamyab Jawan Programme, the SAPM said that his government is focused to promote the culture of entrepreneurship in the country. He said that financial support, imparting relevant skills and mentorship will enable youth to successfully launch their businesses. He welcomed the DICE fellowship programme offered by the British Council for grooming young entrepreneurs in Pakistan.

Chadwick said that he was very happy and pleased to know about the initiative of PM Kamyab Jawan Programme for Youth in Pakistan. He further said that British Council would support this initiative for optimisation of its results for the youth. He added that youth is a true agent of change and investments made in them will obviously pay back society.

Amir Hussain Ramzan said that British Council assists the government’s prioritised areas in view to avoid wastage of resources and is therefore willing to extend all possible support to PM Kamyab Jawan Programme.

Dar emphasised that the government has prioritised youth as a key area of intervention considering the fact that about 68% of the population comprises of youth. He further said that for the first time in the country’s history National Youth Development Framework was prepared as a guide for undertaking youth-related measures in addition to forming a youth representative body called National Youth Council.