90pc Pakistanis are poor: economist Call for agricultural reforms for poverty eradication
LAHORE: Agricultural reforms are crucial for poverty eradication while education and skill development can also play a role in this regard.
According to the World Bank estimates, 53 percent population in the country has been living below the poverty line while economists opined that 90 percent Pakistanis were now poor. These views were expressed by the participants in the Jang Economic Session on How poverty eradication is possible in rural areas.
The participants were Punjab Vocational Training Council Chairman Faisal Ijaz Khan, former provincial labour minister Ashraf Khan Sohna, Economist Farah Naz Naqvi, industrialist Almas Haider, and Working Women Organisation Executive Director Aima Mehmood.
Faisal Ijaz Khan said that according to the World Bank, Pakistan poverty figures had reached to 53 percent from the last years 49 percent and the national agenda was needed to counter it. He said the dropout rate in 64,000 colleges in the Punjab was 6.3 million and such students could be provided vocational training for their jobs. He said 70 percent population was below 29 years of age and the Punjab needed 1.3 new job opportunities annually. He said postgraduates were not getting jobs.
Ashraf Khan Sohna said people in Pakistan were not well-to-do and they were suffering from poverty and ignorance. He said rural population was yet to decide that it should get rid of ignorance first or poverty.
He said a limited family was vital to control poverty and urged politicians to avoid getting votes by keeping the rural population ignorant. Farah Naz Naqvi said the government alone could not control poverty and suggested building infrastructure to control it. She said public-private partnership was needed for poverty eradication, adding that the government should support the private sector with skill development. She called for making agro-based policies for poverty eradication in rural areas.
Almas Haider said inefficient use of capabilities and time was also included in the category of poverty. He said poverty rate was high in less educated areas so that rural population was trapped in poverty. He said the government could develop skills in 2 million population with Rs72 billion budget annually which was less than the BISP budget.
He said the BISP stipend was not helping reduce poverty, adding that if the same amount would be spent on skill development 2 million population would come out of poverty. He said successive government did not present poverty eradication budget. He said presently only on percent population was well-to-do in Pakistan.
Aima Mehmood said 48 percent rural population was living below the poverty line while 37 percent were literate out of which only 10 percent were women. She said rural population had limited chances of skill learning. She said 10 million females were linked with agriculture sector and lack of agricultural reforms was also a reason of poverty in the country.
90pc Pakistanis are poor: economist Call for agricultural reforms for poverty eradication
LAHORE: Agricultural reforms are crucial for poverty eradication while education and skill development can also play a role in this regard.
According to the World Bank estimates, 53 percent population in the country has been living below the poverty line while economists opined that 90 percent Pakistanis were now poor. These views were expressed by the participants in the Jang Economic Session on How poverty eradication is possible in rural areas.
The participants were Punjab Vocational Training Council Chairman Faisal Ijaz Khan, former provincial labour minister Ashraf Khan Sohna, Economist Farah Naz Naqvi, industrialist Almas Haider, and Working Women Organisation Executive Director Aima Mehmood.
Faisal Ijaz Khan said that according to the World Bank, Pakistan poverty figures had reached to 53 percent from the last years 49 percent and the national agenda was needed to counter it. He said the dropout rate in 64,000 colleges in the Punjab was 6.3 million and such students could be provided vocational training for their jobs. He said 70 percent population was below 29 years of age and the Punjab needed 1.3 new job opportunities annually. He said postgraduates were not getting jobs.
Ashraf Khan Sohna said people in Pakistan were not well-to-do and they were suffering from poverty and ignorance. He said rural population was yet to decide that it should get rid of ignorance first or poverty.
He said a limited family was vital to control poverty and urged politicians to avoid getting votes by keeping the rural population ignorant. Farah Naz Naqvi said the government alone could not control poverty and suggested building infrastructure to control it. She said public-private partnership was needed for poverty eradication, adding that the government should support the private sector with skill development. She called for making agro-based policies for poverty eradication in rural areas.
Almas Haider said inefficient use of capabilities and time was also included in the category of poverty. He said poverty rate was high in less educated areas so that rural population was trapped in poverty. He said the government could develop skills in 2 million population with Rs72 billion budget annually which was less than the BISP budget.
He said the BISP stipend was not helping reduce poverty, adding that if the same amount would be spent on skill development 2 million population would come out of poverty. He said successive government did not present poverty eradication budget. He said presently only on percent population was well-to-do in Pakistan.
Aima Mehmood said 48 percent rural population was living below the poverty line while 37 percent were literate out of which only 10 percent were women. She said rural population had limited chances of skill learning. She said 10 million females were linked with agriculture sector and lack of agricultural reforms was also a reason of poverty in the country.
90pc Pakistanis are poor: economist Call for agricultural reforms for poverty eradication
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