To empower the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two programs have been launched by the provincial government. These programs include the Naujawan Program and the Chief Minister Youth Internship Program, which are going to provide opportunities to more youth to gather abilities that would be translated into abilities in today’s competitive environment. The launch of the program took place at the house of Chief Minister Peshawar, where Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur unveiled the programs officially.
Through it, the government opened the Ehsas Naujwan online portal to provide an opportunity for young people in the province to apply for interest-free loans to start their businesses under the Ehsas Naujawan Program. These steps are a testament to the efforts by the government to develop the economy of the area as well as to reduce unemployment among the youth of the province.
Launching of the Naujawan Program
Chief Minister Gandapur welcomed the Naujawan Program with such excitement and started working on the initiative for the youth entrepreneurs. The Ehsas Naujawan Program is a three-year program of Rs. 3 billion, wherein the support shall be disbursed to youths in order to support beginning or scaling their businesses. The two main components enable it to address the issue properly. The first element—of it, in cooperation with Bank of Khyber for the scheme—would provide interest-free loans up to Rs. 1 billion to groups of three to five young individuals within the age bracket of 18-35 years.
These loans are going to be Rs. 1 million to Rs. 5 million in worth and will be repaid in an eight-year term, which will include the grace period of 20 months. This would allow the young entrepreneur enough time to establish his enterprise without bearing the burden of sudden repayments.
Partnership and Implementation
For the effective working of the Naujawan Program, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Department of Youth Affairs, Bank of Khyber, and Akhuwat Microfinance. The joint endeavor includes achieving the maximum resources of these organizations to avail wholesome support towards a young entrepreneur. So, such collaboration makes the loan application and its distribution smooth for the youth to provide them opportunities easily available at their fingertips.
In return, working together, these institutions will provide adapted financial products and advisory services specifically tailored to the unique challenges of the young business owner. Only through such collaboration will the program be maximally impactful and loans reached at the right hands.
Financial Support for Small Businesses
The Ehsas Naujwan Program comprises two components: the first is earmarked loans of Rs. 2 billion and even providing them specially for small businesses. Partnered with Akhuwat Microfinance Bank, the program lends money ranging from Rs. 100,000 to Rs. 500,000 to people between 18 and 40 years of age. It has specific reservations with regard to its distribution, at 15 percent for women of a younger generation, 2.5 percent for special persons, 5 percent for madrassa students, and another 2.5 percent for minorities, to take it to the lowest strata of society. This targeted allocation of financial support ensures that there are adequate support structures in place for kick-starting and growing diverse segments of the youth population in their respective businesses. The program functions as a revolving fund; therefore, paid loans get ploughed back into helping more young entrepreneurs and also creates a sound, sustainable cycle of financial support and further business growth.
Chief Minister Youth Internship Program
In addition to the Naujawan Program, the Chief Minister Youth Internship Program has been proposed, and that will provide on-the-job experience to youngsters. 400 students will be given an internship opportunity every year for three months with a monthly stipend of Rs. 25,000. Through which approximately 1,200 students will be benefited in these three years. For eligibility, one must be below 29 years of age and must have at least 16 years of education experience or should be holding an equivalent degree recognized by the Higher Education Commission.
Once the internship is completed, the graduated subjects are placed into public or private employment sectors, where they will gain essential skills, promote employability, prepare, and equip the youth for the real job markets.
Commitment of Government towards Youth Empowerment
Speaking at the launch, Chief Minister Gandapur maintained that the government was designing an empowered youth and economic self-reliance. The scope of these programs falls in line with the vision of former Prime Minister Imran Khan for making the nation economically self-reliant. Programs like Ehsaas Naujwan, Ehsaas Hunar, Ehsaas Rozgar, and Ehsaas Apna Ghar fall under an overarching attempt toward youth financial independence.
Gandapur reiterated the government’s pledge to deliver low-cost homes and welfare schemes even in a hard time economically. He urged youth to present their innovative ideas, giving assurance that the government is open to supporting the worthy without showing any kinds of discrimination. Its main aim is the equipping of youth with entrepreneurial opportunities and not just basic employment, creating a culture of innovation and self-reliance that would lead the provincial economic development.
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Conclusion
Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur engages Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the Naujawan Program and the Chief Minister Youth Internship Program. While the chief minister is empowering the youth of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, interest-free loans and valuable internship opportunities for the young make the government feasible. These ways will bring the youth closer to financial independence and meaningful contribution to the economy. These initiatives support the entrepreneurial spirit of the youth but at the same time ensure that this spirit yields the appropriate skills and experience to make them successful players in their chosen fields. Well implemented, the Ehsas Naujawan Program and Youth Internship Program will help change the lives of many youth in the province, one small step toward the much-needed generation of skilled, self-reliant, and innovative leaders to propel regional growth and prosperity.