(08 November 2017)
President Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), President AKIA, Senior Vice Chairman of the Businessmen Panel of FPCCI and former provincial minister Mian Zahid Hussain on Wednesday said changing scenario in the Arab world has created uncertainty among the migrant workers and those dependent on their earnings.
The Government should chalk out a strategy to safeguard its interests in the Arab world and that of the expatriates who are facing increased uncertainty.
Mian Zahid Hussain said that almost half of the Pakistanis working abroad are in the Saudi Arabia who are sending billions of dollars, therefore, they merit the attention of the authorities.
Almost half of the Pakistanis working abroad are unskilled while rest is labour and semi-skilled and the percentage of highly skilled workers is almost two percent which should be increased with the consultation of Pakistan Overseas Employment Promoters Association.
Such a step will not only increase earning but also improve the country’s image and reduce unemployment, he added.
The business leader said that government tries its best to improve exports by frequently announcing packages but the sector which is earning almost equal to the external sector without any investment is ignored.
The concerned ministry and departments are not considered important while the FIA treat licenced employment promoters as human smugglers which are never noticed.
The FIA is supposed to take permission from Bureau of Immigration before raiding the premises of job promoters but it has never cared about it.
He said that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development should start sending high-ranking delegations to potential countries where manpower is required and convince their labor ministers to take our manpower which will reduce unemployment and improve Forex situation.
