MoU signed to end child labour and exploitation of labourers

Sindh Law Department and GPCCI to also work for capacity building of women

The Sindh Law Department and the German Pakistan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GPCCI) have joined hands with the aim to end child labour and exploitation of labourers.

Under the agreement, the two parties would also work for capacity building of women so that prospective foreign investors could be provided with an improved environment to do business in the province.

In this connection a ceremony was held at a Karachi hotel on Wednesday to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the law department and the GPCCI, under which they would work together for the uplift of the masses facing socio-economic exploitation and lesser availability of privileges.

Law Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar was the chief guest on the occasion while German Consul General in Karachi Rainer Schmiedchen also witnessed the MoU signing ceremony.

Law Secretary Iftikhar Ali Shallwani and GPCCI President Qazi Sajid Ali signed the memorandum for the initial period of two years, with a provision of extending it with the consent of both the parties.

The GPCCI president said it was for the first time that a chamber of commerce & industry in the country had entered into such an arrangement with the provincial government, adding that the MoU was aimed at rapidly creating an environment to attract foreign investment for socio-economic advancement of the province.

He said foreign companies made the decision to invest and launch businesses in any country after fully evaluating the socio-economic, commercial, cultural and law enforcement situation, adding that such an analysis also took into account how the underprivileged and the downtrodden were treated so as to end their economic exploitation.

Ali said the MoU would help end harassment and exploitation of women at their workplaces, as working women would also be provided with awareness of their due rights and privileges.

The MoU also aims at creating a working and business environment to end child labour and abuse and general economic exploitation of labourers, regarding which Ali said the provincial laws concerning the issues of labourers and children had to be updated in accordance with international needs.

He added that companies should also be educated so they could be enabled to do their business while fully abiding by the legal framework and laws of the land.

He hoped that once the MoU would be implemented it would lead to making Pakistan a better place for doing trade and business by prospective foreign companies.

“We at the GPCCI believe in continuous enhancement to change the status quo by taking bold initiatives through various projects under the MoU. We shall share the know-how and latest development of Germany with our Pakistani counterparts in both the countries.”

The German CG appreciated the clauses of the MoU that called for taking joint steps to end child labour, for capacity building of women associated with both the public and private sectors and for taking initiatives for the uplift of religious minorities and other ethnic groups living below the poverty line.

Schmiedchen said the concerned international community was committed the resolve of taking steps to curb child labour and exploitation of labour, empowering women and teaching them about their rights wherever in the world such issues existed, irrespective of geographical boundaries of the nations.

He appreciated that a representative body of businessmen and legal minds of the provincial government had joined hands to take steps to end economic exploitation and for the uplift of the downtrodden communities facing injustices in the province.

The law minister said that the signing of the MoU would open a new chapter for providing services that would be helpful in doing business in the province with complete competence and success.

He hoped that small and medium business enterprises would be established across the province, as the MoU envisaged ending exploitation of labourers and peasants, curbing child labour and empowering women to make them active members of the socio-economic mainstream of society.

Lanjar said the MoU also envisaged organising seminars, workshops and training sessions in the province to spread awareness among the people regarding their rights and privileges at their workplaces.

He added that the memorandum envisaged such activities to be undertaken by the law department that were fully corresponded with delegation of more powers and authority to the provincial governments to discharge their responsibilities in accordance with the 18th constitutional amendment.

The MoU aims at collaboration between the law department and the GPCCI to form a base to enhance awareness among the people in general and the underprivileged groups across Sindh in particular.

Projects related to promoting small domestic enterprises leading towards elimination of child labour, capacity building of women in public and private sectors and mainstreaming initiatives to include minorities and ethnic groups below the poverty line are the other major highlights of the MoU.

Training sessions will be planned to educate groups to enable them to learn from mutual best practices. The memorandum also envisages taking steps to enhance awareness among the people by holding seminars and workshops with regard to the legal framework, including the rights and duties of laws, rules and regulations.