The government's plan to extend the youth self-employment programme throughout the country is a welcome step. At a time when unemployment has led to the mass exodus of youths to foreign countries, such programmes will prove crucial in retaining skilled and unskilled manpower.

However, prolonged political transition and instability pose great challenges to implementing the programme. The government must understand that in the absence of political support from the opposition parties, even the best-designed projects will fail to deliver the desired results. The Youth and Small Business Self Employment Fund has already spent 2.7 billion so far, but has failed to make significant impact in terms of bringing down the staggering unemployment rate.

In the past, such projects have been used by parties to dole out large sums to their cadres and party loyalists. But to avoid misappropriation and ensure transparency, the state has decided to run the programme through cooperatives and government controlled banks in 240 electoral regions of all 75 districts. An accountable mechanism such as this will help ensure that the target of employing 50,000 youths will be met. However, the government still needs to take the opposition into confidence and seek their support if it wants the programme to truly succeed.