FAISALABAD          -           Mrs Qurat-ul-Ain, president of Faisalabad Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry, has said that half of our population has been crippled due to the prevailing socio-economic conditions. Despite of the best efforts, women are reluctant to start their own businesses while a few sectors due to their own tailor-made protections had succeeded to attract women.

She said that at the initial stage, government must stimulate women to create wealth for their own benefit. However, at later stage, they could be gradually convinced to contribute their role in revenue generation.

She Said Pakistan is trying to switch over from undocumented to documented economy and at this stage women must be encouraged to create wealth with the help of banking channels instead of forcing them to pay taxes.

Presenting federal budget proposals for the year 2020-21, she said that a large number of young girls are studying at university level. The girls at school level must be equipped with vocational training to become a productive part of the national economy. At the higher stage, girls must be given a business-related project with full support from the banking side.

The girls should be encouraged to start these projects after completion of their education. In this connection, the banks should play proactive role and provide financial support in addition to arranging a technical help from SMEDA and other related departments till these projects are successfully started running on the smooth footing.

She further stated that government has been providing facilities under Credit Guarantee Scheme of State Bank of Pakistan. She particularly mentioned of the women incubation centers with the funding of Export Development Fund so that women could contribute their role in the mainstream economy as female entrepreneurs.

Regarding congenial and supporting environments for women, she said that government must launch awareness programs to educate male members of the society to support females in their business pursuits.

She further told that women should be entrusted with image building of Pakistan and in this connection their trade delegations should be encouraged with necessary financial support to visit developed western countries so that we could project image of Pakistan.

Regarding female workers, she said that they are main players of garment sector and hence ‘Day Care Centres’ should be established around knitting clusters. She said that residential colonies should also be established so that they could get rid of extensive travelling from their homes to the workplaces. She suggested that Honorary Commercial Counsellors may also be appointed from the women entrepreneurs in the countries where they have deep rooted business contacts.