July 01, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1428

ISLAMABAD, June 30: Temasek Holdings, a Singapore-based investment firm worth over $90 billion, intends to launch a mass self-employment scheme in Pakistan. This was disclosed by the CEO of Temasek Holdings, Madam Ho-Ching, in a meeting with Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue Dr Salman Shah here on Saturday.

The scheme is being introduced in Pakistan following its success in Indonesia, Malaysia and India.

An official announcement issued here said the company has set up pilot projects in Sindh and Punjab for collecting data to conceive a financial model based on competitive support to increase production capacity of the people at grass-root level, generate self-employment, commercial activity and promote SMEs in the rural areas of Pakistan.

It would also create investment and banking infrastructure at the district and village level to promote housing sector, real estate and augment income for self-employed people, such as barbers and fisherman through financial schemes.