ISLAMABAD, Nov 4 (APP): Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Thursday highlighted important role of women in national development, underlining the need for their more active participation in economic growth to reduce poverty in the country.
Addressing to the launching ceremony of FINCA Microfinance Bank’s first branch staffed entirely by women, he urged females to create their own businesses and companies as there was no issue of their financial inclusion in Pakistan.
The public and private sectors had created multiple opportunities to boost the women and entrepreneurs access to the finances, he said, mentioning a recent programme launched by Prime Minister Imran Khan recently under the Ehsaas umbrella to offer loans amounting to Rs 0.5 million for every house hold of low income group.
About the newly inaugurated branch of the FINCA Microfinance Bank, he said this was a golden opportunity for women especially for those who had skills and graduated from the universities lately.
“So create your own businesses, which would eventually help create jobs in the country,” he said while urging the women for actively participating in the national development.
The minister said the inflation could only be controlled by increasing income generation in the country.
“If 50 per cent population does not work then how will the country move forward,” he questioned and said: “Unless we let the women to enter in our economic life on equal basis, this country will remain poor.”
He said the mega relief package announced by the prime minister on Wednesday was aimed at providing 30 per cent subsides on wheat flour, pulses and ghee to those whose monthly income was less than Rs 31,000.
Fawad reiterated that the only solution to inflation was increase in income generation. The oil and gas prices in the global market could not decline due to low income generation in Pakistan, he added.
He said the people in rural areas were not hit by the inflation as of those who were living in urban areas as there has been an increase in farmers’ income which was amounted to Rs 1,100 billion.
