OUR government’s inability to provide jobs to the millions entering the labour force has been a national challenge over the years. At present one gets to know that energy crisis and corruption are main factors for unemployment. This is because investors are unwilling to invest in a country which cannot meet its energy needs. Unsurprisingly, corruption in the shape of favouritism has damaged meritocracy of the nation.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics survey of 2015-16, 5.9pc of people are unemployed, which is an unrealistic picture. This means many people living in rural areas and those who are self-employed do not make part of this research.

The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) should not be considered the only source of job, energy and infrastructure development, though it does offer great opportunities. However, one must not put all eggs into a single basket.

The government should offer subsidies and incentives to farmers to make Pakistan self-sufficient in food. It should also provide tax relief to investors to enable manufacturers to improve and thus create jobs. Also, small-scale firms must be promoted to help mitigate the unemployment problem.

Qaiser Rizwan Abbasi
Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, May 22nd, 2017