Murad, EU delegation discuss launch of TPP

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and a high-level delegation of European Union, led by Thomas Deiler, the charge d'Affaires, discussed Talent Partnership Programme (TPP) and Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP Plus) in their meeting held at CM House on Tuesday.

The TPP is being launched to discourage illegal immigration to rich countries by developing a framework to exchange skilled and non-skilled labour under an agreement to be inked through EU.

The meeting was attended by CM Advisor on Investment, Qasim Naveed, chairman P&D, Hassan Naqvi, and Special Secretary to CM, Rahim Shaikh.

The EU delegation members included Political Officer, Ms Dilarde Teilane, Eric Hahn EMLO and Trade Advisor, Husnain Iftakhar.

The head of the delegation informed the chief minister that the EU has envisaged a programme to stop illegal immigration under which human rights are trampled. Under the programme, the EU would make an employment arrangement in some South African and European countries including France for the people of Pakistan.

Under the programme skilled and unskilled workers would be provided employment opportunities. The provincial government would have to impart technical training to its youth so that they could be sent abroad under an EU programme.

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The provincial government, before launching technical training programmes, would assess the requirements of the trades and field in which skilled labours are required and then the courses would be offered accordingly.

The chief minister directed chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi to discuss modalities of programmes with the EU team for launching the scheme.

GSP Plus scheme allows qualified developing countries to pay no duties on some exports to the European Union. The facility was first awarded to Pakistan in January 2014 for 10 years. Since January 2014, Pakistan has benefitted from the GSP Plus.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 18^th, 2022.