Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that the government was prioritizing efforts to equip the country’s workforce with skills and training aligned with international standards.
He was talking to a seven-member delegation of Association of Chartered Certified Accounts (ACCA) led by its Chief Executive Helen Brand OBE which called on him here at the PM House.
Welcoming the delegation, the prime minister said the country was blessed with talented youth and capable manpower.
He noted that the third party validation to improve transparency and governance was the basic part of the every government project.
He said that bringing improvements in the government’s performance and governance was top priority of the government.
“Improvement in Pakistan’s investment rating by Fitch is a welcoming sign but we have to make further efforts,” the prime minister said adding that the association could play an important role in imparting new professional skills to improve the competition of Pakistan’s manpower at international level.
The government will encourage the ACCA’s efforts to enhance the capacity of the government institutions.
The prime minister directed the relevant authorities to increase cooperation with the association and hold discussions for future course of action.
During the meeting, the delegation highlighted important role, the ACCA played for the development of Pakistan’s economy.
The delegation informed the prime minister that the ACCA’s 13000 Pakistani members were serving across the world in various sectors, whereas around 40,000 students were in process of receiving the membership of ACCA.
The delegation extended its gratitude to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) for granting ACCA members equivalence to a Master’s degree.
The delegation also expressed a strong desire to actively support Pakistan’s Green Economy Transformation Plan.
The delegation stated that the Association was eager to collaborate with the Government of Pakistan on initiatives for a sustainable global future, mitigating the adverse effects of climate change, innovation in the fields of accountancy and audit, outsourcing of services in the corporate sector, and other modern developments.
They praised the government team for its achievements in economic development under the leadership of the prime minister. The delegation also showed deep interest in cooperating to enhance revenue collection, increase transparency in the system, and build institutional capacity.
