ISLAMABAD, Sept 30 (APP): Pakistan is exporting over four lac skilled and unskilled workers to various countries, while the Government has also signed six Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with different Middle East countries.Responding to a question in the National Assembly on Thursday, Minister for Labour and Manpower Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah informed that before 2008 the labour exporting figure of 275,000 was observed annually.
He said the Government is enhancing technical education across the country to produced skilled labour for export. Technical education has been compulsory for the Matric students in all the labour ministry schools, he added. The minister said an agreement has been signed with Saudi Arabia for the establishment of a technical institute in 13 cities. These institutions would impart education to around 400 students, besides jobs provision by the Saudi Government.
Khursheed Shad said conceded no attention was paid to the technical education over the last 50 years. But now, Ministry of Labour and Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) is organizing a technical training courses across the country to enhance the skilled labour, he told.
Replying to a question, Khursheed Shah said the stipends of Lady Health Workers would be increased. Presently they are getting Rs. 3500 a month.
He said upto 50 million workforce is registered in the country with much more workers still not registered. The Minister said every year over 3,000 MBBS doctors complete education of which 20 percent get government while 80 percent are rendered unemployed.
Labour minister said over 300 MBBS doctors have been sent to the Saudi Arabia, where 700 more Pakistani doctor would soon be sent. Saudi Government also needs over 200,000 skilled labour from Pakistan, he added.
The majority of the workerforce being export hails from Punjab and Khyber Pukhtunkhwa. Workers from Sindh and Balochistan do not take interest to go abroad, he said – APP
