Self-employment scheme transforming people’s life, says Shahbaz

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the Chief Minister Punjab Self-employment Scheme was a unique initiative which had transformed lives of hundreds of thousands of families.

“The Punjab government has given interest-free loans to more than 1.7 million families during the last few years. An amount of Rs 36.70 billion has been given as interest-free loans and the rate of return of these loans is 99.96 per cent.

During the current fiscal year, an additional amount of Rs 2 billion has been allocated for the Chief Minister Punjab Self-employment Scheme,” he added. Presiding over a meeting through video link, he said transparency and merit were the two important symbols of the scheme which had emerged as a movement.

Separately, the chief minister said the new generation was the custodian of Pakistan’s future and that’s why historic steps had been taken by the government to secure the future of the youth.

Talking to a delegation of the youth, Shahbaz mentioned the various projects launched by the provincial government including Punjab Educational Endowment Fund (PEEF, establishment of computer labs in schools and distribution of laptops.

He said Pakistan was lucky that more than 60 per cent of its population consisted of the youth who were a ray of hope for national development. Shahbaz said the government was moving rapidly towards achieving the goal of training in different fields to two million youth through Punjab Skills Development Programme.

Meanwhile, the chief minister expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the death of senior journalist and columnist Habib-ur-Rehman. In his condolence message, he extended heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved family and prayed to Almighty Allah to rest the departed soul in eternal peace.