Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Announces Interest Free Loans for Youth.
- August 20, 2024
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In an important move to "empower" the youth of the province, Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ali Amin Gandapur presented three programs centered on employment.
In order to offer financial support to young professionals and businesses, the KP government has finished the required procedures to launch the "Ehsaas Rozgar," "Ehsaas Hunar," and "Ehsaas Nojawan Rozgar" programs.
In order to facilitate the timely execution of these programs, Ali Amin Gandapur has directed pertinent departments to expedite the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
Under the "Ehsaas Nojawan Rozgar" initiative, chief minister Gandapur has announced that eligible applicants will receive soft loans up to Rs. 10 million. Additionally, interest-free loans of up to Rs 200,000 would be made accessible for starting new businesses and expanding existing ones.
He claims that under the "Ehsaas Hunar" initiative, capable young people can start or grow their businesses with interest-free loans of up to Rs 500,000.
In a related development, the Chief Minister also reviewed the progress of the "Ehsaas Apna Ghar" program, which aims to provide interest-free loans to deserving families for the construction, renovation, or expansion of their homes up to Rs 1.5 million.
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CM Gandapur stated that the government's dedication to promoting economic growth and raising the living standards of the province's youth and impoverished families is reflected in this comprehensive approach.
On the other hand, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) president, Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj, gave the IT team instructions to implement e-certificates for license renewals and Good Standing Certificates two months after the organization unveiled an improved web portal.
Prof. Taj emphasized that improving the usability and efficiency of the experience for medical and dental professionals is the main objective of this research.
He stated to reporters, "These e-certificates will be issued quickly, minimizing any disruption for doctors."
While Good Standing Certificates will be processed in approximately 1-2 days under the new system, license renewals are anticipated to take 6-7 days.
He mentioned that the PMDC will be able to process up to 300–400 applications a day thanks to the upgraded digital infrastructure, greatly increasing operating efficiency.
The president of PMDC emphasized how time-consuming and resource-intensive the present manual process is for obtaining Good Standing Certificates and renewing licenses.
He clarified that these procedures would be streamlined by the new digital technology effort, which would replace manual processing and hard copy mailing with online submissions, electronic certificate generation, and direct digital delivery—all of which would come with improved security safeguards.
Prof. Taj added that this modification will lower the cost of printing and shipping, use less paper, and provide a more practical, visible, and safe application process to thwart fraud or forgeries.
16,692 of the 17,524 renewal applications that the PMDC has received since the portal's modification in June 2024 have been processed and issued.
"4,891 doctors and dentists who applied in the last two months out of 5,063 total, were awarded Good Standing Certificates.
Many times, these credentials are required for postsecondary education, abroad practice, or job applications."
Prof. Taj emphasized that the processing times for license renewals and Good Standing Certificates will be shortened to just 1-2 days and 6-7 days, respectively, if the e-certification system is fully implemented.