Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed banks and financial institutions to increase lending to farmers, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and the housing sector.
Chairing a meeting on access to finance for agriculture, housing and SMEs, the prime minister said banks that expand credit access would be encouraged.
He said agriculture is vital to Pakistan’s economy and called for farmers to receive uninterrupted financing on affordable terms.
Shehbaz also said providing affordable housing to low- and middle-income families remains a government priority. He directed provincial chief secretaries to survey properties that could qualify for bank financing under the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Scheme.
The meeting was informed that 147,504 applications have been submitted under the scheme, with 53,127 approved. The approved applications are worth Rs. 313.42 billion, while banks have disbursed Rs. 45.43 billion to 8,739 applicants.
A system is also being developed to identify plots nationwide that meet mortgage requirements. The system will initially be tested in Islamabad.
Bank lending to SMEs reached Rs. 1.067 trillion in August 2026. Under the Access to Finance Plan 2026-28, SME lending is targeted to reach Rs. 2 trillion by June 2028.
