The coalition government has decided to revive more than Rs100 million worth of ‘Prime Minister’s Laptop Scheme’—a flagship scheme of the PML-N under which free laptops were given to high achievers in universities—this year.

“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will give laptops to 100,000 high achievers this year,” Special Assistant to the PM on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima Khawaja said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad. She was accompanied by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb on Wednesday.

The PM’s Youth Laptop Scheme (Phase-III) was one of the six programmes approved by the Central Development Working Party at the cost of Rs0.146162 billion in its last meeting.

What’s new this time?

• 50% of the laptops will be given to women
• Transgender persons will be added into it
• Balochistan quota has been doubled

The announcement, which Shiza announced as “good news for the youth”, comes at a time when the country is struggling to meet its external financing obligations in the face of low foreign exchange reserves that barely covered a month of imports, and is also beset by decades-high inflation that has slowed down its economy.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, after coming into power in 2013, announced a development package worth Rs20 billion for the country’s youth comprising six projects, that included the above mentioned initiative.

“PM Shehbaz will soon start distributing these laptops among our young people,” Fatima said, adding that the purpose of such a project was to bring the country’s youth at par with the modern world in which the economic landscape is growing with the technology and provide them an enabling environment to compete in the world.

National Youth Employment Policy

The government has further decided to launch the National Youth Employment Policy in order to bridge the labour demand and supply gap. In this regard, Fatima said that the government has worked with chambers of commerce, companies, and academia.

“How we have to fill this gap so that our young generation has a ‘decent work’ not [like this] that an MBA graduate has a ‘small job’. So for ‘decent work’, we have made a plan as to how to provide jobs and livelihood to at least two million young people.” Such a plan has been made with the industries.

Skill development programme

In addition to the plan, a skill development programme aimed at providing training and skills, including conventional, to 100,000 students would be launched. “So that our people who go abroad for labour are certified,” she said, “And we have put more focus on IT [information technology] skills [while keeping in mind] today’s economy.

Fatima was of the view that the country’s youth has a lot of potential while quoting that Pakistan was the fourth biggest freelancing economy.

“The 150 million youth is our asset and no one can stop Pakistan from progressing if we utilise them in a better way.”

Business and agricultural loan programme

Fatima announced that the business loan has been turned into a business and agricultural loan programme. The application will soon be available at pmyp.gov.pk and intended candidates could also apply via PMYP mobile application.

“The purpose of this loan is how to promote business and entrepreneurship. Our children instead of being employment seekers start such businesses via which they provide employment opportunities to others.”

Key features of programme

• Loan amount up to Rs500,000 is without interest and there will be collateral
• Women are encouraged to apply for it
• Loan amount up to Rs1,500,000 will be available at 5% interest.
• Loan amount from Rs1,500,000 to Rs75,500,000 will be available at 7% interest.
• Repayment time is eight to nine years

Sports activities

Over the last eight months, 35,000 youth have participated in the sports prorgammes. She added that the talent hunt programme has been completed and the government would organise provincial and national leagues this year.

“Applications for cricket and football trials are open and so far 30,000 have applied for it,” Fatima said.

National Innovation Award

The government would assist the top 50 people with having the best ideas.