LAHORE: Chairperson of the CM Punjab Task Force on Skills Development Adnan Afzal Chattha has said that the Punjab government, under the leadership of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is determined to design a technology enablement plan for investors and business services, including digital inclusion initiatives, digital payments adoption, MSME on-boarding and digital certification of skills.
He expressed these views while chairing the first meeting of the Sub-Committee on Skills, Technology and Tourism. The meeting reviewed the proposed policy framework for developing a demand-led skills map by district and industrial cluster, with a focus on identifying job requirements, workforce demand, and wage bands.
Representatives from the Skills Development and Entrepreneurship Department (SD&ED), TEVTA, PSDF, Labour & Human Resource Department, PITB, Punjab Urban Unit, Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, as well as experts from the IT, hospitality, and e-commerce sectors, participated in the meeting and shared their input.
In the follow-up sub-committee discussion, participants highlighted infrastructure gaps, connectivity concerns, and the need for industry-led skills and incubation centres as key enablers of a stronger skills ecosystem. It was noted that flagship programmes such as BPOs, Advanced Tech, and Empowering Rural Educated Women could create avenues for sustainable income-generation opportunities for skilled youth.
During the initial briefing, the Additional Secretary of Tourism, Archaeology and Museums Department informed the participants that short-term, medium-term and long-term plans are needed for a tourism value chain, including tourism circuits, infrastructure requirements and private investment opportunities in this sector.
In his remarks, Adnan Afzal Chattha emphasised that the Punjab government is undertaking policy-level reforms to create a more enabling environment for economic activity. He noted that a cluster-based development approach would significantly strengthen the skills sector and generate wide-ranging employment opportunities across the province.
The meeting also considered proposals for developing a demand-led skills map by district and industrial cluster to better align training supply with market demand.
It may be noted that the Punjab government constituted a Sub Committee on Skills, Technology and Tourism to assist the Economic Transformation Committee, which was established last month. It appointed Adnan Afzal Chattha as the convenor of the sub-committee. Its other members include Bilal Ahmed Rana, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab, the Planning and Development Board Punjab Chairman, the Secretary Skills Development and Entrepreneurship, the Punjab Tourism, Archaeology and Museums Secretary, Punjab Labour and Human Resource Secretary, the Secretary Global Investment Gateway of Punjab (GIGP), the TEVTA Chairperson, the Director General of Punjab Skills Development Authority, the Director General of Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Urban Unit, the Chairman of Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) and five experts from the private sector.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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