PTCL, PPAF collaborate to boost digital, financial inclusion of women- Press Release issued by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited.

Islamabad -- September 19, 2022 (PPI-OT)

Following is the text of press release issued by Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL)

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Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) Group has entered into a strategic partnership with Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) to foster digital and economic inclusion of women entrepreneurs through training and access to digital and financial tools and opportunities for economic growth.

Group Chief Commercial Officer (GCCO), PTCL Group, Adnan Anjum and Chief Operating Officer (COO), PPAF, Nadir Gul Barech signed the agreement at a ceremony held at Ufone Tower, Islamabad, in presence of senior officials from both organizations. This public-private partnership project will enable and up-skill women entrepreneurs to drive their businesses towards sustainable growth and resiliency.

The year-long, pilot project will be implemented across four union councils and ten villages in the Haripur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, under which one hundred women entrepreneurs will be trained.

The partnering institutions will implement a two-week training module using a standardized high-impact curriculum, focusing on digital literacy, business skills, and life skills that will come in handy in driving fledgling and small-scale businesses towards success and sustainable growth. PTCL will allocate a physical space which will serve as a digitally enabled Hub with access to basic facilities like Internet and training spaces as a central venue for the training sessions.

In addition to this Ufone will be providing smartphones with registered SIMs and data packages for the one-year project to ensure their full participation. PPAF will lead the identification and selection process of the women entrepreneurs leveraging its existing presence at community level through partner organizations already engaged in diverse development initiatives. PPAF will also contribute to the overall cost of the project on equity basis.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Group Chief Commercial Officer, PTCL and amp; Ufone, Adnan Anjum said: "No nation can achieve economic...