The News
ISLAMABAD: Remittances from overseas Pakistanis from the next financial
year would be around $12 billion, said Federal Minister for Overseas
Pakistanis, Dr Farooq Sattar.
“Remittances will be received
under the scheme of Pakistan Remittance Initiatives (PRI) launched in
collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, State Bank and Ministry of
Overseas Pakistanis,” he said while speaking at the launching ceremony
of Human Development Report 2009, organised by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) here on Monday.
The minister said
the government would make efforts to provide basic facilities to
overseas Pakistanis and stop illegal immigration through the border and
travel agencies.
On the occasion, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark
said that migration could be a force for good, contributing
significantly to human development. He said that most of the people
migrated in order to earn and improve their living standard.
Allowing
for migration both within and between countries has the potential to
increase people’s freedom and improve the lives of millions around the
world, according to the Human Development Report.
The report
also mentions most migrants do not cross national borders, but instead
move within their own country, 740 million people are internal
migrants, almost four times the number of international migrants.
In
Pakistan, there are 3.55 million migrants which represent 2.1 per cent
of the total population. Among international migrants, less than 30 per
cent move from developing to developed countries.
Pakistan has an immigration rate of 2.2 per cent and Pakistan in the Human Development Index ranks 141st out of 182 countries.
Return to the list <<<<<
