Deputy Chair-man Planning Commission, Dr Nadeem ul Haq on Tuesday stressed the need for promoting private sector and private entrepreneurship and to have creative cities, for a vibrant and globally connected communities for the economic growth of the country.
"If high growth rates have to be achieved, "we need to promote private sector, we need to promote private entrepreneurship, we need to have creative cities, and we need to have vibrant and globally connected communities," he said while addressing the concluding session of a seminar on "Youth social and economic entrepreneurship" organised by UNDP and "Center for poverty reduction and social policy development (CPRSPD) here this afternoon.
US Co-ordinator for Economic Development to Pakistan Robin Rapheal co-chaired the session on the "Youth social and economic entrepreneurship'. Dr Nadeem ul Haq observed that the failure of development planning process to actively promote youth development has resulted in unintended consequences. "For instance, poor quality of education in public schools has resulted in parallel education systems, which are completely disconnected from each other producing two different sets of individuals: the so-called liberal elites on one hand and the conservative masses on the other who seemingly live on different planets", he said.
Dr Nadeem ul Haq said that the education and skill training systems are producing individuals for elementary skill job market. He added that those who are considered trained have mostly acquired basic or intermediary skills, which are either least in demand or outmoded. "Even some donor driven skill acquisition programmes are focusing on producing more plumbers and electricians, but least we know about where and how this low skilled labour force will be absorbed? Dubai has had its own bust, which was a famous destination for these least skilled workers', he remarked.
He was of the view that perhaps the Pakistani thinkers and policymakers need to rethink how large cohorts of youth who exit from the schools with or without education can be engaged and mentored to promote a vibrant and peaceful society. "Active communities with vibrant social networks can promote a tolerant society", he added.
The Deputy Chairman Planning Commission said that only dynamic and vibrant societies in creative cities create space for youth; and space for entrepreneurship. "On the other hand our cities are experiencing unregulated expansion, which does not support a job market for skilled and certified individuals in randomly expanding construction industry", he added.
The local job market, he said either does not absorb them or they remain underemployed in family businesses. Besides, the job market for uneducated and low skilled workers is void of humanism. Labour in elementary occupations either works as virtually 24 hours slaves or survives as daily wager. The availability of work is mostly at the mercy of job market condition, which is dependent on a fragile economy lacking peace, security, and economic stability, he added.
Unfortunately, he said, Pakistan has been facing many challenges since its birth, but certainly for the last couple of decades, as the unintended consequences of our development policies are coming to forefront. Robin Raphael assured that US would support Pakistan in promoting private sector entrepreneurship specially with focus on rural areas.