K-P govt allocates Rs5b for youth uplift

Muhammad Atif Khan says capital will be accompanied by business training for the youth

PESHAWAR: The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Senior Minister Atif Khan on Tuesday said that the provincial government has approved a sum of Rs5 billion for the uplift of youth through the Youth Development Commission to engage them in healthy activities.

Presiding over a meeting of officials from the Bank of Khyber at his office on Tuesday, Atif said that it was important to engage the youth in healthy and productive activities.

The meeting discussed mechanisms for lending soft loans to the youth of the province.

During the meeting, issues such as methods and strategies for starting a business for the youth were also discussed.

Atif, who also holds the portfolio of sports, tourism, archaeology, culture, museums and youth affairs, told the meeting that they were working on several projects which will help create jobs and business opportunities for the youth.

The youth could play a vibrant and active role in the progress and prosperity of the nation if proper opportunities are provided, he added.

Providing a breakdown of the Rs5 billion sum allocated for spurring entrepreneurship in the province, the senior minister said that Rs3 billion will be provided to the youth of the newly-merged districts of the province, while the remaining sum will be spent on the youth from the settled districts of the province.

The senior minister said that the youth will d not only be provided with capital for employment but they will also be provided with regular business training so that they can successfully grow their businesses and create employment opportunities.

Under the ‘Kamyab Jawan’ (Successful Youth) programme, launched at the federal level, funds will be provided to empower young people financially.

In this regard, he said that last year, over 330 youngsters were provided with employment at a cost of Rs0.5 billion through the K-P Impact Challenge programme.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2020.