The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) in collaboration with the Bank of Khyber (BoK) held a seminar on 'Hunarmand Rozgar Scheme' for the students of 'Gems and Gemological Institute of Pakistan (GGIP), Peshawar. Those who addressed the seminar were provincial chief of Smeda Javed Iqbal Khattak, Incharge of Credit, BoK, Abdul Qadoos, and Director, of GGIP, Abdul Karim Hashmi.
A large number of the current and former students of the institution attended the seminar. The purpose of the seminar was to create awareness among the students about the self-employment scheme of the provincial government. The provincial government has started the scheme to enable the skilled youth to instead of looking to public sector for employment they should go for their own businesses, lessen dependence on the government and enable them to play their role in the strengthening of the economy of the province.
The speakers briefed the students of the institute in detail regarding the procedure of obtaining loans under the scheme. The lack of credit for initiating their own businesses is big hurdle faced by skilled graduates of the institute, which will be resolved largely through the 'Hunarmand Rozgar Scheme' of the provincial government.
KP Smeda has especially prepared this programme taking into consideration various kind of needs of the skilled youth of the province. The students of the institution on this occasion appreciated the effort of the provincial government, and the Smeda and Bank of Khyber in this regard, saying that the holding of such seminars can help enable the youth to stand on their own feet and would prove helpful in the economic and social development of the people of the province.