Youth empowerment a useful investment, says Shahbaz

LAHORE
A delegation of World Bank led by Country Director Rachid Ben Messaud called on Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here Tuesday. Matters regarding promotion of cooperation in skill development and tourism sector were discussed in the meeting.
Talking to the World Bank delegation, the chief minister said majority of Pakistan’s population comprised of youth and by imparting quality skills to the youth, the challenge of their empowerment had to be turned into an opportunity. He said that World Bank should promote cooperation with Punjab regarding skill development. He said that provision of resources for empowerment of youth was a useful investment and the Punjab government was moving in the right direction in this regard. He said that training and imparting of skills to youth in accordance with market requirement was the need of the hour. He said the Punjab government was building the capacity of technical training institutes. He said that World Bank should consider provision of assistance in the vocational training to five lakh youth annually. He said that in order to provide respectable job opportunities, the government had started the pilot project programme of digital economy under which online jobs would be provided to the youth. He issued instructions for setting up a committee for negotiations with World Bank for the promotion of tourism in Punjab. Country Director of World Bank Rachid Ben Messaud said that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had taken commendable measures for progress of the province and had provided benefits of the development projects to the masses in the real sense.
Italian envoy: Italian Ambassador in Pakistan Adriano Chiodi Cianfarani called on Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif here Tuesday. Matters of mutual interest, promotion of cooperation in different sectors including energy and strengthening bilateral relations were discussed in the meeting. Talking on the occasion, the chief minister said Italy had special expertise in generating energy from solar power and other alternative resources and cooperation of Italy would be welcomed in energy sector. He said the supply of electricity was continuing through 100 megawatt solar power project which was completed by the Punjab government with its own resources at Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park in Bahawalpur. He said that work on first solar power project had started in Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park Bahawalpur under China Pakistan Economic Corridor and solar project of 50 megawatt would start producing electricity from 14th August this year. He said that solar project of 300 megawatt would start generating electricity by the end of current year whereas remaining solar projects of 600 megawatt would be completed next year. Italian Ambassador said Italy had expertise in solar energy and wanted to cooperate with Punjab in energy sector. Italian Ambassador congratulated the chief minister on completion of splendid project of metro bus in a record period of time.
Commission: Shahbaz Sharif presided over a meeting of Overseas Pakistanis Commission Punjab, here Tuesday in which performance of the commission was reviewed.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said no one would be allowed to grab properties, houses or land of overseas Pakistanis and their hard-earned money would be protected at any cost. He directed that Overseas Pakistanis Commission Punjab should acquire the services of lawyers at the earliest for pursuing the cases. He issued instructions for setting up a committee for making affairs of the housing societies transparent and said this committee should review all matters regarding housing societies.
The meeting also decided to fix quota for the children of overseas Pakistanis in educational institutions on merit. The chief minister directed that a comprehensive framework should be evolved and presented in the next meeting. He said the commission should resolve the problems of overseas Pakistanis in an active manner and come up to the expectations of the masses. He directed that all institutions should extend complete cooperation to Overseas Pakistani Commission Punjab. The meeting also decided to allocate a separate block for overseas Pakistanis in government housing schemes. He directed that Punjab Investment Board should play an active role for motivating overseas Pakistanis towards investment. Commissioner Overseas Pakistani Commission Punjab Afzaal Bhatti while giving a briefing about the performance of the commission said that out of 650 complaints of overseas Pakistanis 357 had been resolved.