KARACHI: Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Chaudhry Salik Hussain on Thursday said the government aimed to provide overseas employment opportunities to 800,000 individuals this year, compared to 740,00 manpower export last year.

Citing a significant increase in demand for Pakistani labour in GCC countries and other regions, he said Pakistan was launching soft-skills training programmes in collaboration with Korea and Japan. He also announced that the minimum age for women seeking overseas employment had been reduced from 35 to 25 years. A Pakistani worker employed in Korea is currently remitting an average of $1,800 per month to Pakistan, he said while speaking at a meeting with members of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Kati).

The minister said the government was undertaking comprehensive reforms to address issues faced by overseas Pakistanis, promote skills development and create better employment opportunities.

He advised the Korangi office of the Employees Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) to coordinate with Kati before issuing recovery notices, stressing that matters should be resolved through dialogue and facilitation.

He said EOBI’s fund size had increased from Rs500 billion to Rs650bn within one-and-a-half years due to improved governance and transparency. He added that EOBI was focusing on enhancing investment returns, resolving property-related litigation through mediation, activating idle assets, overhauling IT systems and digitising statutory notices.

The minister said EOBI’s Complaint Management System was being integrated with the Prime Minister’s Portal, Wafaqi Mohtasib and other relevant departments, while help desks had been established in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi to facilitate employers, employees and pensioners.

He said key institutions such as EOBI were being digitalised to facilitate industrialists rather than harass them, and to create a more business-friendly environment for taxpayers. He said EOBI had the potential to become self-sustaining due to the availability of substantial funds.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2026