- Sharif asks WB to assist with skill development of 0.5m youth annually
The Punjab government will leave no stone unturned to increase the growth rate to eight per cent till 2018 and targets to increase the growth rate for improving the living standard of the masses have been fixed, Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif told Palchamuthu Illango, World Bank’s country director in Pakistan, on Tuesday.
Sharif said the Punjab government was implementing a comprehensive programme for speedy economic development of the province and revolutionary reforms had been introduced for uplift of the health and other sectors.
The chief minister said that various programmes were being run successfully in Punjab with the cooperation of World Bank. He said the youth were an asset of the nation and special attention was being paid for teaching them the various skills.
He told the dignitary that in order to make the youth skillful in accordance with the need of local and international market, a programme was being implemented with the cooperation of Punjab Skill Development Company and DFID.
The chief minister asked World Bank to consider provision of assistance for quality skill development of 0.5 million youth annually.
The World Bank representative agreed to promote cooperation for skill development, education, health, agriculture, irrigation and other sectors in Punjab.
Sharif told Illango that the government was implementing the policy of balanced development of urban and rural areas and development projects costing billions of rupees were being completed expeditiously in cities and rural areas.
He said a target had been set to impart training of quality skill development to 2 million youth till 2018. He said a number of programmes were being implemented for empowerment of youth in the province.