PM Shehbaz urges banks to boost lending to farmers, SMEs and housing

Business Recorder reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday urged banks and financial institutions to raise lending to farmers, SMEs and the housing sector. He made the call during a review of the Access to Finance Plan 2026-28, which he chaired. He added that the government would encourage lenders that fully carry out their part in extending credit to these segments.

The plan is designed to widen access to finance for priority sectors, with the aim of supporting growth, exports and jobs. At the meeting the PM was briefed on the Apna Ghar Program, where 147,504 applications have come in and 53,127 have been approved. Approved applications are worth Rs313.42 billion in total, and Rs45.43 billion in loans has gone to 8,739 borrowers.

Bank lending to agriculture reached Rs1.268 trillion in August 2026, measured against a Rs2 trillion goal for June 2028 under the plan. SME loans stood at Rs1.067 trillion through August 2026, with the same Rs2 trillion target set for June 2028. Through the Zarkhez-e app, 35,838 applications for easy loans were received, Rs7.35 billion has been approved, and Rs1.96 billion has been disbursed.