PM stresses effective use of diligent workforce, resources for country’s progress

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday called for effectively harnessing country’s diligent workforce and diverse natural resources to achieve the objective of country’s progress and prosperity for its people. Speaking at the launch of ‘The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE)’, Islamabad Chapter, he said Pakistan was a resourceful country and has an immense potential for growth compared to many developing nations in the world.
“We have a large diligent work force and a diverse natural resource base. However, we could not tap this potential for the progress and prosperity of our people,” he told academics, scholars and entrepreneurs.
“Ironically, mobilization of this potential remains the main challenge, confronting us today.”
Gilani said Pakistan was fortunate to have a young nation brimming with energy and talent, and almost 45% of the country’s population was below the age of 15.
He assured that if this talent was groomed and properly trained, “no one can stop Pakistan from progressing to its rightful place”.
Like-wise, Prime Minister Gilani also called for fully utilizing capabilities of women, which make up for more than half of the country’s population, by bringing them into the mainstream and every sphere of economic development.
Turning to country’s trade, Prime Minister Gilani regretted that Pakistan’s exports were still without any significant value-addition.
“Exporting raw cotton, wheat and rice and letting others reap the fruits of value addition is certainly not our destiny,” he said and added that multi-dimensional approach was required to change the situation.
This approach must take into account potential of country’s resources, present and future infrastructure needs, demands of the international market and challenges that lay ahead.
Prime Minister Gilani said he believed that for Pakistan to progress, businesses must be encouraged to step forward and play their role in value addition.
He stressed the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in value addition and export earning, adding, that this was an important vehicle for value addition.
The government, he said, was endeavouring to use SMEs for resource mobilisation and development of an entrepreneurial culture in the country.
Prime Minister Gilani noted that TiE Islamabad Chapter was being launched at a time when the newly elected government took charge with similar aims for entrepreneurship and poverty alleviation.
He said it was the objective of all patriotic Pakistanis to create conducive environment for progress and prosperity of the nation; create job opportunities for their youth; and most importantly to reduce poverty.
Prime Minister Gilani appreciated the select gathering of corporate leaders, senior professionals and successful entrepreneurs assembled here for a great cause to encourage entrepreneurship through counselling, networking, and education, and provide positive leadership to new entrepreneurs.
He stressed the need of devising, adopting and implementing a comprehensive development strategy that ensures increased productivity in agriculture sector, on modern and innovative lines.
“Our young entrepreneurs can be instrumental in ‘Green’ and ‘White’ revolution,” he added.
Gilani said the government was working on promotion of entrepreneurship in Pakistan, and the TIE needs to give equal attention to traditional sectors such as textiles, and the emerging ones, such as Information Technology (IT), Bio-Informatics or Organic Farming.
He pointed out that Pakistan has young people with exceptional talent, who are creating software that are being used by the World’s IT giants. These young people are fully capable of creating marvels in other fields as well, he added.
The Prime Minister also emphasised the need of focusing on education, training and exposure of existing entrepreneurs.
In this connection, he suggested that teams of qualified academicians from internationally reputed institutions like MIT, Harvard and others, should be engaged to impart market based skills, especially to start ups.
Gilani noted with pleasure that the TiE, Karachi Chapter, for the first time, was holding Business Plan Competitions in Pakistan, saying that there was a great need for such competitions on regular basis.
This, he added, will expose the local entrepreneurs to the international market, help secure orders for their products and give them confidence to compete at the international level.