ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information Farrukh Habib on Friday said the government had so far disbursed soft loans amounting to Rs17 billion among over 14,000 young entrepreneurs under the Youth Entrepreneurship Scheme (YES) of Kamyab Jawan Programme (KJP).

Addressing the second batch of KJP’s National Youth Council (NYC), Mr Habib said the prime minister’s Kamyab Jawan Programme had marked a new era of entrepreneurship in the country, creating massive job opportunities for the country’s youth.

He said a major chunk of total disbursement went to those who were unable to materialise their ideas and dreams due to financial constraints, pointing out the government’s recent decision to increase the upper limit for the first tier of YES from Rs1 million to Rs2 million.

He said at least 170,000 skill scholarships were provided to youth across the country.

Says 170,000 skill scholarships provided across the country

Mr Habib appreciated the efforts of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Mohammad Usman Dar for implementing the KJP in a transparent manner, adding that the programme was playing a crucial role in making the youth financially independent and empowered.

The country is moving towards food security through uplift of the agriculture sector, he said, adding that the government under Prime Minister Imran Khan’s leadership was spending the money of tax payers with extra care in order to boost economic growth.

He added that the cost of the prime minister’s visit to Afghanistan was only $9,600 while past rulers like Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari spent up to $60,000 for the same. The prime minister visited America in just $67,000, whereas past rulers did that for up to $700,000.

The prime minister saved over Rs1 billion out of the total over Rs3 billion budget approved for the prime minister’s house. He asked NYC members to derive inspiration from the prime minister who came into power through genuine political struggle spanning over 22 years.

He added that NYC was a platform for the youth where they could turn their dreams into reality and there is a need to expand the NYC network so that more talented youth could become the part of decision making process in the country.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2021