Govt mulling setting up Rs2b fund for youth entrepreneurship: Atif

PESHAWAR: Senior Minister for Youth Affairs, Tourism and Culture Atif Khan on Friday said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was mulling to allocate Rs2 billion for youth entrepreneurship after success of Impact Challenge initiative.

“We are discussing the modalities for the new initiative. We will also decide whether to give the money as loan or grant to youth with innovative ideas to further expand or establish new small businesses,” he elaborated.

The minister was speaking at the cheques distribution of 2nd installment of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Impact Challenge programme.

He said that the fund would be increased to Rs4 billion if the Rs2 billion project proved successful and yielded the desired results.

The Senior Minister said that the Impact Challenge programme has enabled youth to start own business and also providing employment to other people. “The KP Impact Challenge is a unique project for the educated unemployed youth. This is a step in the right direction to enable the talented youth to stand on their own feet and put an end to unemployment in the province,” Atif Khan said.

The minister said that youth constituted 60 percent of the country’s population and they supported the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the party-led government was committed to work for their welfare.

Atif Khan said that his ministry was also focusing on promotion of tourism in the province and identified new places to develop these as tourist resorts to generate revenue for the province.

He said that facilities at the existing tourist resorts were also being arranged so the tourist gets improved facilities. He said that a strategy was formulated to publicise the province beauty and tourists spots to attract local tourists.