Greener pastures: Skilled expats can add more to the national kitty
Remittances had been one of the factors keeping Pakistan’s ailing economy afloat.
Remittances had been one of the factors keeping Pakistan’s ailing economy afloat. ILLUSTRATION: JAMAL KHURSHID
ISLAMABAD:
With chances of employment fast diminishing and economy on a nosedive, it is becoming very difficult for many to survive in Pakistan hence they are looking for opportunities elsewhere to earn more for their households.
According to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, a total of 2,765,789 citizens, including 31,607 from Balochistan, have gone abroad in search of better jobs over the last five years.
“Youth makes up for a huge chunk of population in Pakistan and manpower export is one of our future strategies to earn remittance,” said Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal here on Tuesday. While advocating his point, he referred to the example of Philippines and said although the country is smaller compared to Pakistan, its remittances were close of USD 35 to 40 billion.
“Instead of stopping our people from going abroad we should focus on improving the skill level of our workers aspiring to abroad,” he added. “That way, we can increase their per capita income which, compared to other counties, is much less.”
The Minister also acknowledged the fact that remittances had been one of the factors that has kept the country’s ailing economy afloat.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Secretary Information Dr Shireen Mazari said the human outflow was merely a by-product of unemployment and that the deteriorating security situation has also added to it.
“When people are deprived of opportunities and meritocracy is ignored, it erodes their faith in the system, one in which the rich do not pay taxes,” she added.
According to the figures announced by the ministry some 466712 Pakistanis have proceeded abroad during the current year. The selection of workers, the government says, is prerogative of the foreign employers which is based on only one criterion, ‘the right person for the right job’.
Expatriate and overseas Pakistanis sent home a record $13.920 billion in the previous fiscal year (July 2012-June 2013), according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan. The figures show a growth of 5.56% or $733.64 million compared with $13.187 billion a year earlier.
The top six destinations are Saudi Arabia, UAE, USA, UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman) and EU countries, with Saudi Arabia topping the list with a whopping $4.105 billion return in remittance between July 2012-June 2013.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2013.
With chances of employment fast diminishing and economy on a nosedive, it is becoming very difficult for many to survive in Pakistan hence they are looking for opportunities elsewhere to earn more for their households.
According to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, a total of 2,765,789 citizens, including 31,607 from Balochistan, have gone abroad in search of better jobs over the last five years.
“Youth makes up for a huge chunk of population in Pakistan and manpower export is one of our future strategies to earn remittance,” said Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal here on Tuesday. While advocating his point, he referred to the example of Philippines and said although the country is smaller compared to Pakistan, its remittances were close of USD 35 to 40 billion.
“Instead of stopping our people from going abroad we should focus on improving the skill level of our workers aspiring to abroad,” he added. “That way, we can increase their per capita income which, compared to other counties, is much less.”
The Minister also acknowledged the fact that remittances had been one of the factors that has kept the country’s ailing economy afloat.
On the other hand, Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Secretary Information Dr Shireen Mazari said the human outflow was merely a by-product of unemployment and that the deteriorating security situation has also added to it.
“When people are deprived of opportunities and meritocracy is ignored, it erodes their faith in the system, one in which the rich do not pay taxes,” she added.
According to the figures announced by the ministry some 466712 Pakistanis have proceeded abroad during the current year. The selection of workers, the government says, is prerogative of the foreign employers which is based on only one criterion, ‘the right person for the right job’.
Expatriate and overseas Pakistanis sent home a record $13.920 billion in the previous fiscal year (July 2012-June 2013), according to data released by the State Bank of Pakistan. The figures show a growth of 5.56% or $733.64 million compared with $13.187 billion a year earlier.
The top six destinations are Saudi Arabia, UAE, USA, UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries (including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman) and EU countries, with Saudi Arabia topping the list with a whopping $4.105 billion return in remittance between July 2012-June 2013.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 25th, 2013.