PM approves plan for uplift of youth, farmers, women

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday approved the inclusion of a “revolutionary programme” in the upcoming budget 2023-24 for the uplift of youth, women and farmers.

As per the prime minister’s directives, the funds have been allocated in the upcoming budget for projects on the welfare of youth and women as well as for agriculture tube wells.

According to a PM Office statement, in the next fiscal year, the youth would be provided interest free loans and endowment fund would be established for education and sports.
The prime minister approved the establishment of Pakistan Endowment Fund for Education on the pattern of Punjab Endowment Fund.

Under the fund, the intelligent but poor students from across the country would be given educational scholarships.

The funds have been allocated for Prime Minister Youth Program to extend small loans to the youth.

The government has also specified funds to impart skill training to the youth, including in the information technology.

The upcoming budget would also have funds for distribution of 100,000 laptops among youth besides extending financial support to the IT startups.

The government has made budgetary allocations for promotion of sports activities among the youth and to encourage their participation. The upcoming budget will also feature the funds allocations for a program to achieve the economic empowerment of women.

The prime minister also approved a program for the solarisation of agriculture tube wells which would be implemented in the second phase of PM’s Kissan Package.
TAPI gas pipeline project.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed confidence that the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline project would usher in an era of regional cooperation, development and prosperity.

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Addressing at the signing ceremony of TAPI Joint Implementation Plan, the prime minister said the project was of utmost importance for the development of the four countries and the region.

Sharif said the project would help the region to secure natural gas to concrete assurances and mutually agreed terms and conditions. He mentioned that in view of global situation, energy had become a real challenge.

“For a developing country like Pakistan, there is a need for speedy actions to explore the options for energy,” he said. The prime minister directed his team to do everything to pace up the planning and execution of the TAPI project.

He said Pakistan and Turkmenistan were ready to expand relations in diverse areas and boost their cooperation. On the occasion, the prime minister witnessed the signing of the TAP Joint Implementation Plan. State Minister for Petroleum Musadik Malik and Turkmenistan’s State Minister and Chairman of TurkmenGas, Maskat Babayev inked the accord.