Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called on banks and financial institutions to enhance their role in providing loans to farmers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and the housing sector. During a meeting focused on Access to Finance for Agriculture, Housing, and SMEs in Islamabad, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of expanding credit access to these sectors.

According to Radio Pakistan, Sharif highlighted the agricultural sector as a critical component of the national economy and underscored the government’s commitment to supporting its growth. He urged financial institutions to ensure that farmers receive consistent access to financial resources under favorable terms. The Prime Minister also stressed the importance of affordable housing for low-income and middle-class families, pointing to it as a government priority.

In the meeting, Sharif instructed provincial chief secretaries to conduct a thorough survey of properties eligible for loans under the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Scheme. The meeting revealed that 147,504 applications have been submitted under the scheme, with 53,127 approved, amounting to 313.42 billion rupees in total. Loans totaling 45.43 billion rupees have been disbursed to 8,739 applicants.

Additionally, the meeting discussed a system being developed to identify plots nationwide that meet mortgage requirements, with a pilot project set to launch in Islamabad. It was noted that bank lending to the SME sector was at 1.067 trillion rupees as of August, with the Access to Finance Plan 2026-28 aiming for two trillion rupees by June 2028.