Prime Minister Imran Khan launched a Rs407 billion interest-free loan program on Wednesday which he said is aimed at uplifting Pakistan’s lower-income groups and make them less dependent on the government.
Under the prime minister’s Kamyab Jawan Programme, a flagship poverty alleviation scheme, the government intends to disburse loans among the youth, women and farmers and for the construction of low-income houses during the next two years, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.
“We have included 4.5 million families in the Kamyab Jawan Programme,” the prime minister said in a televised address, addressing a ceremony at Islamabad’s Faisal Mosque. “We started from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Now, we are introducing this program to the whole country.”
Khan said Pakistani banks had provided loans of up to Rs55bn to lower-income groups, which was unprecedented in the country’s history.
“[The main idea behind the program is] to facilitate people to stand on their feet and start their businesses,” Khan said. “The government will never have enough finance or resources to give money to such a large population.”
Khan said his government would ensure that by the end of this month, every family in Punjab would have health cards and have access to health insurance amounting to Rs1 million.
He promised that every penny collected as tax by the government would be spent on the welfare of the people.
