SAARC Young Entrepreneurs Seek Support With Incentives

LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Jul, 2017 ) : Shaharyar Ali Malik, Chairman, Young Entrepreneurs, SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday stressed the need for supporting and incentivizing youth with providing ample opportunities to fully exploit their innovation and creativity.

According to a message received from Thimphu (Bhutan), Shaharyar Ali Malik, chairing one of the session on "Role of Youth Entrepreneurs towards Regional Development" held at Thimphu (Bhutan), on the sideline at the 70th Executive Committee meeting of SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the future of South Asian youth lies in entrepreneurship and tech-based education, which enables them to create employment opportunities for themselves as well as for others.

Youth in the SAARC region had similar problems, opportunities and challenges, he said and added poverty and youth unemployment in particular were noted as significant challenges. "These problems can be solved through the development of youth skills, entrepreneurship, leadership, and also by increasing youth participation", he added.

He said that while the 19th century was of dreams and struggles, the 20th century was of hope riddled with some amount of havoc and the 21st century is of fulfillment. "The opposite of destruction shall be instruction," Shaharyar said.

"Our region is entering an age of opportunity," he said that freedom, youth and gender quality were the pillars of modernity. "When we have social and economic empowerment, then only we can say that we are in the age of modernity," he said.

Stating that the SAARC region has the largest number of impoverished population, Shaharyar said: "You have to work to remove this curse of poverty". "We live in a world where we are not really prepared to live, but we must try to provide the best to our future generations.

Poverty and unemployment are the biggest evils of our society, and the youngsters of today must work together to eliminate these from our world", he added.

He said the SAARC member states should focus on reducing youth unemployment in their respective countries because one-fifth of the population of South Asia are 15 to 24 years old; young adults continue to account for half of the unemployed; and young people are six times more likely than older workers to be jobless.

Highlighting the challenges being faced by youth in Pakistan, Shaharyar Ali Malik said Pakistan was the fifth largest 'young country' in the world. A recent United Nations Population Fund report makes the claim that out of 200 million people, 63% of Pakistan's population comprises of youth.

Of these, 58.5 million are 20 to 24 years old while 69 million are aged under 15 whereas around 25% of the Pakistani youth is illiterate whereas 8.2% is unemployed with no vocational and technical skills.

Access to education remains low in the country with completion rate for Primary education among the lowest in the world. Even then, the state spends only 2.2% of its budget on education, he added.

Shaharyar Ali Malik said under these bleak circumstances, the process of dialogue should continue in future to promote congenial atmosphere in the Asian Region with the focusing on the ways and means on enhancing mutual trust and understanding among SAARC countries besides addressing the core issues through result oriented peaceful parlays.

"Economic development won't solve all geopolitical problems, but it can eliminate poverty, improve schooling levels and promote well-being. Countries can achieve long-term sustainable growth only if people's livelihoods are stable", he concluded.

The participants lauded the role of VP SAARC Chamber and veteran trade leader of Pakistan Iftikhar Ali Malik for setting up special desk for youth as SAARC headquarters and for extending full support to youth of the region.