Delayed PM’s skills project gets funds

A multibillion-rupee project under the prime minister’s special package has suffered delay due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The project has been designed to meet the demand for latest technologies in hi-tech trades and vocational training for the industry.

The government had approved the project titled “Skills for All” as a catalyst for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector’s development in Pakistan through 14 TVET-specific interventions.

The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training informed the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) that the Central Development Working Party (CDWP) had approved the prime minister’s special package to implement the “Skills for All” strategy in its meeting on October 30, 2019 at a cost of Rs9.88 billion for a period of 18 months.

The strategy was part of the Kamyab Jawan Programme launched by the prime minister. The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) was made the executing agency of the programme, which was financed through a block allocation made for various special schemes under the Prime Minister’s Youth Skill Development Initiative.

The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training said due to the Covid19 outbreak, the implementation of the project had suffered and most of the project activities were rescheduled, which would be carried out during financial year 2020-21.

Therefore, the Finance Division and the Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives were requested to allocate funds amounting to Rs8.8 billion in financial year 2020-21.

The budgetary requirement was further rationalised to Rs2.99 billion for the first two quarters of current financial year and Rs5.98 billion for the entire financial year.

In order to provide budgetary allocation in the current financial year, Rs160 million was provided initially through the technical supplementary grant, which was insufficient to meet the requirement of the programme.

Now, in order to meet the requirement of ongoing project activities, the education ministry identified savings of Rs500 million in its different projects.

The ministry requested the ECC that Rs500 million be allocated/ released through the technical supplementary grant from the development expenditure of the Federal Education and Professional Training Division for development expenditure of NAVTTC under the PM project.

The Finance Division agreed to the proposal. The ECC considered the proposal and approved Rs500 million for the project.