PM’s Kamyab Program, relief initiatives spark widespread jubilation

PESHAWAR, Mar 02 (APP): The Kamyab Pakistan interest-free loan inclusive program worth Rs 407 billion and various relief initiatives including significant reduction in petroleum, diesel and electricity’s prices announced by the Prime Minister have sparked widespread jubilation among people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including merged tribal districts.

Syed Ishtiaq Urmar, Provincial Minister for Environment and Forests told APP on Wednesday that interest free loans under Kamyab Pakistan Program was a landmark intiative that would significantly contribute towards making poor people and low-income groups financially self-reliant besides generating employment opportunities and alleviating poverty in the country.

“The historic interest free loan program has been launched in line with the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision for socioeconomic empowerment of poor people and making Pakistan an Islamic Welfare State on the pattern of Riyast e Madina,” he said, adding it would benefit hundreds of thousands of people.

Dr Muhammad Naeem, Assistant Professor Ecnomics Department, University of Swabi termed Kamyab Pakistan program was historic and goal- oriented in the prevailing economic situation.

Under the landmark program, upto Rs500,000 interest free loans would be provided to unemployed people for starting small businesses under Kamyab Karobar (Sucessful Business) Program that would benefit over 4.5 million families.

Under Kamyab Pakistan, upto Rs500,000 interest free loans would be provided to farmers and land owners having 12.5 acres land.

Dr Naeem said it would bolster agriculture, meat and milk production besides increasing incomes of farmers and agricultural growers.

Similarly, Rs2.7 million soft loans would be provided to poor people for construction of own houses under Naya Pakistan Housing Program.

He said this would create jobs opportunities for youth and give enormous boost to construction and allied industries.

The shelter less who pay their hard earned money as rent of hiring houses would use this money on welfare of their children after becoming owners of own houses.

Under Kamyab Hunermand Program, he said the Government would provide free conventional skills, modern technical and vocational training to youth besides free treatment under Sehatmand Program.

The Government has allocated additional Rs100 billion for current fiscal year for provision of interest free loans to poor people

Nazim, Village Council Dheri Mian Ishaq Nowshera said that Prime Minister has won hearts of million people after reduction of Rs10 per litre prices of petrol and diesel besides Rs5 per unit cut in electricity tariff.

He said interest free loans to poor segments of the society and decreasing prices of petroleum and electricity products was unprecedented and historic.

Professor Ehtisham Qaisar has termed Kamyab Pakistan program was historic.

He said increase of cash assistance from Rs12,000 to Rs14,000 under Ehsas Program as key intiative of Prime Minister that would benefits over eight million families in the country.

World Bank had ranked the Ehsas programme as one of the best programmes in the world, while the British Prime Minister also appreciated Pakistan’s endeavours to tackle the issue of climate change.

Billion trees afforstration project launched by the Government in 2014 has started delivering lurals besides combating climate change challenges. Under first phase if billion trees project, over 1.280 billion saplings were planted during 2014-17 and 505 million plants were raised under 10BTAP in last three years in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Dr Naeem said PTI government had inherited a weak economy burdened with huge internal and external deficits, and foreign exchange reserves were only enough for three weeks of imports. Today, he said the country’s economy and GDP was growing in upward trajectory due to prudent economic and financial policies of the incumbent Government.

The Government had effectively dealt with the monster challenge of coronavirus and subsequent lockdowns, supply chain disruptions and commodity prices hikes.

The Economist magazine had noted that Pakistan was among the top three countries, which had effectively tackled the coronavirus. World Bank, World Economic Forum and World Health Organization has also appreciated Pakistan’s Government efforts during coronavirus pandemic.

Bill Gates has also commended Pakistan for its achievements in the health sector as no polio case had been reported in the last one year.

The experts lauded Prime Minister for launching a historic internship program for graduates of Pakistan underwhich Rs30,000 per month would be provided through a transparent and merit-based system.

He said it would provide the required skills and jobs experience to hundered of thousands of youth. While praising the Prime Minister’s for announcing 2.6 million educational scholarships for students and allocation of Rs 38 billion would immensely help bolster literacy ratio and promote higher education in Pakistan.

The Prime Minister has recently announced various incentives for promotion of information technology (IT), including 100% tax exemption for companies and freelancers, 100 % waiver on repatriation of capital and foreign exchange, and elimination of capital gains tax for startups.

He said the investment from the overseas Pakistanis, including through joint ventures, would enjoy tax-holiday for five years and no question would be asked from those who would establish industries.

Dr Naeem said Pakistan’s economy grew by 5.6 percent as verified by the World Bank while remittances from overseas Pakistanis increased to $ 31 billion and foreign exchange reserves to $ 23.2 billion, adding Pakistan has recorded the highest level of exports due to better economic policies of the Government

He said tax collection has been enhanced to more than Rs 6,000 billion, rising by 31 percent and Pakistan had good crops of wheat, rice, sugarcane and corn.

Farmers had earned Rs 1,100 billion while taking benefit of the support package given by the government and timely payments from the sugar mills, which showed substantial agriculture growth.

The large scale manufacturing had increased by 7.5 percent, and private sector companies had earned Rs 930 billion in profits, besides getting credit of Rs 1,400 billion from the banks.

Tractor sales had increased by 20 percent, and those of trucks and buses by 81 percent, while the oil consumption increased by 15 percent.

To bolster construction industry, Rs 1,500 billion has been flowed into the construction sector due to the housing sector package announced by the government and the banks had already approved loans of Rs 150 billion for low cost housing and Rs 50 billion had been disbursed.

Misal Khan, Retd Information Officer while appreciating the PM’s Kamyab Pakistan and recent relief initiatives said that Sehat Card plus Program was a landmark project providing the much needed relief to millions of masses.

He said every citizen was now able to get free treatment upto Rs 1 million under Sehat Card Plus in any top hospital of Pakistan.

He said PECA was an important law and it had nothing to do with the freedom of press and instead good journalists should be happy over the curb of fake news as it would enhance their credibility.

He said unlimited press freedom was often counterproductive for freedom of expression and urged journalists bodies to sit with relevant authorities for countering the menace of fake news.

The experts expressed the hope that these historic intiative would generate employment opportunities at large scale besides give upward push to the country economic growth and development.