ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Uzbekistan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) according to which both the countries would foster collaboration in employment creation, bilateral trade and professional trainings.

Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sajid Hussain Turi signed the MoU with his counterpart Mr Bekhzod Musaev, minister for employment and poverty reduction of Uzbekistan during the former’s recent visit to Tashkent to attend an international conference on “Uzbekistan’s poverty reduction experience: assessing and implementing in developing countries.”

The Uzbek minister had especially invited Mr Turi for the conference.

Talking to this reporter, the federal minister said: “There is a lot to learn from Uzbekistan’s experience of resolving the pressing and most complicated problem of unemployment and rising poverty in Pakistan.”

Uzbekistan, the minister said, had succeeded in overcoming unemployment problem due to its successful employment policies with a special focus on professional trainings. “We have signed an MoU through which Uzbekistan will assist us in overcoming the unemployment problem and how to promote job-oriented vocational, professional education and training,” Mr Turi said.

The minister further said that all aspects of replicating the Uzbekistan model and mutual cooperation in this regard were discussed. Human resource works like a backbone in the economic development of any country, he said. Lack of education and proper skills is the main hurdle in the way of resolving the unemployment problem, the minister noted.

The incumbent government has launched serious initiatives for the welfare of people and programmes like Workers Welfare Fund, Pakistan Baitul Mal, Poverty Alleviation Fund, Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) have been geared up to ensure social protection for the downtrodden, Mr Turi said.

Different welfare schemes have been initiated for the employees and their families working in industries registered with Workers Welfare Fund. These include educational scholarships for the children of workers, Hajj scheme, marriage and death grants, about 89 hospitals in different parts of the country. Unfortunately, Pakistan is one of the most disaster-affected countries as a result of the climate changes and floods, the minister said and added that these natural calamities have further aggravated the unemployment and other social problems.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2023