Microcredit can eradicate poverty, says PM

ON BOARD SPECIAL PLANE—Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz Monday said micro-credit scheme can play very important and pivotal role in eradication of poverty and to improve the living standard of the people especially in the rural areas.
Talking to newsmen on board his special plane from Canada to Islamabad, after co-chairing a meeting of the UN panel in the United States and attending the Global Micro-credit Summit in Halifax, Canada, the Prime Minister said Pakistan has also started many programmes including Rozgar Scheme, Zakat Fund, Baitul Maal, Khushhali Bank and established Poverty Alleviation Fund to fight poverty and improve the living standard of the poor people.
The Prime Minister visited New York (USA) and Halifax (Canada) along with a small delegation including Federal Minister for Communication Shamim Siddiqui, Federal Minister for Tourism Nilofar Bakhtiar, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Senator Tariq Azeem Khan, Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Raza Hayat Hiraj and Minister of State for Finance Omar Ayub Khan.
He attended the last and final meeting of High Level Panel of Secretary General United Nations for system wide coherence and submitted the report of the panel to the Secretary General Kofi Annan along with other co-chairman Jens Stoltenberg Prime Minster of Norway.
The Prime Minister visited Halifax for one day before returning home today to attend the Global Micro- Credit Summit and delivered key note address. He appreciated the contribution of many NGOs working in the eradication of poverty in Pakistan.
The Prime Minister said micro-credit facilities would be improved through out the country so that maximum deserving people could get benefit from it and improve their living standard.
He especially mentioned the micro-credit and micro-financing schemes started by the government in the earthquake areas for income generation and creating job opportunities for the affected people. Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said his visit to New York and Canada would further promote bilateral relations with these countries, promote trade and economic activities and enhance investment in various fields.
He said the High Level Panel of the United Nations on System-wide coherence submitted its recommendations and proposals to the Secretary General of the United Nations Kofi Annan with providing him a ‘road map’ for the improvement of the UN system.
Shaukat Aziz said Pakistan is proud to be part of the proceedings and co-chaired the Panel along with Prime Minister of Norway and Mozambiqu and now it’s the duty of UN administration to implement the these recommendations. He said the main purpose of the reforms was to unite the sources of the United Nation through integration between various UN sub-organizations and added that the member countries have appreciated the work of the Panel.
Highlighting other recommendations of the Panel, the Prime Minister said it also recommended ways and means to improve environment in the world and proposed to set up a disaster management fund to ensure the availability of immediate funds for the help of the victims in case of any natural disaster. Shaukat Aziz said Pakistan, that has already been elected President of G-77 for the next year, will take over as President of G-77 from January 1 and would make sincere efforts to implement the recommendations of the Panel.
He said Pakistan played pivotal role in the preparations of the report of the Panel and expressed the hope that implementation of the recommendations would improve the working and efficiency of the UN.
The Prime Minister said during his stay in New York, he addressed the students and faculty members at the prestigious Princeton University to highlight Pakistan’s foreign policy, regional situation, Pak- India relations and confidence building measures, Iran, Iraq situation and other international matters.—APP