Islamabad,
July 11, 2019 (PPI-OT): Dr. Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime
Minister on Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation has said that Ehsaas is
about the creation of a ‘welfare state.’ She was speaking at a dialogue
arranged with the visiting President of World Economic Forum (WEF), Børge
Brende, who arrived in Islamabad today for a one-day visit to Islamabad to meet
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan and other members of the government. Ikram
Sehgal, Chairman of Pathfinder Group, and Anum Akhai, of Martin Dow Group,
hosted an interactive dialogue in his honor. This visit of the WEF President to
Islamabad is an expression of the interest that this global economic organization
is taking in Pakistan and its readiness to take more initiatives to support our
country.
Dr.
Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Social Protection and
Poverty Alleviation and Dr. Reza Baqir, Governor State Bank of Pakistan were
also present at the interactive dialogue together with a number of renowned
economists, finance and media specialists, government officials, diplomats and
other stakeholders. Speaking at the dialogue, Dr. Nishtar welcomed Mr. Brende
to Pakistan. She said that today we live in a very interconnected world, and
this world appears to be challenged on many accounts.
There
are widening inequities, a number of demographic shifts, several
epidemiological challenges, and a rapid wave of urbanization are posing serious
challenges to it. Also, there are many wars and conflicts ongoing, a number of
humanitarian crises, a famine, the largest migration waves since the Second
World War. This is a world in which trust in multilateralism is eroding, the
global system is facing threats that could wipe out the development gains of
the past centuries.
She said
that even in the face of these challenges there are some auspicious
developments at the global level, such as the focus on systems through Agenda
2030, emphasis on human capital development, and the potential of technology to
deliver on public outcomes, she said that the World Economic Forum was one such
positive transformative force as well due to its convening ability to convene
public and private sectors and forge collaborative solutions.
She
appreciated Mr. Brende for visiting Pakistan at a very opportune time when
Pakistan is moving forward with transformative development agenda as the Prime
Minister’s top priority. She elaborated on Ehsaas, as one such transformative
agenda. “Ehsaas is about the creation of a ‘welfare state’ by countering elite
capture and leveraging technology to create precision safety nets, promoting
financial inclusion and access to digital services, supporting the economic
empowerment of women, focusing on the central role of human capital formation
for poverty eradication, economic growth and sustainable development, and
overcoming financial barriers to accessing health and post-secondary education”
she added.
Mr.
Brende in his address, appreciated the hospitality of Pakistan and said that
with huge youth bulge in population, extensive potential for renewable energy
and massive scope for skill building, and competitiveness, Pakistan has a great
opportunity for economic growth. This indicates the cruciality of human capital
development for the socio-economic growth of the country, he added.
Currently,
Pakistan’s economy is at a very critical juncture and Pakistan can successfully
come out of this transition by making right investments in education and skill
development. He appreciated that the present government is driving in the right
direction to uplift the economic engine of the country by thought partnerships
and collaborations between public and private sectors. He announced that World
Economic Forum will be launching a national accelerator on bridging the skill
gap in Pakistan.
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