SMEs, agriculture: Govt doubles financing targets: Aurangzeb

Business Recorder reported that the government wants SME and farm lending doubled to Rs2 trillion in each sector by June 2028. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb set out the goal on Wednesday while presiding over the fourth session of the Access to Finance Steering Committee. Approved housing loans under the Prime Minister's affordable housing scheme have meanwhile climbed to Rs351.3 billion.

By the end of August 2026, SME lending had reached Rs1.067 trillion, with 323,987 borrowers making up 9.90 percent of domestic private advances. Agriculture lending stood at Rs1.268 trillion over the same period, reaching 3,392,092 borrowers and a 10.90 percent share of private advances. By June 2028 the targets are 775,000 SME borrowers and 5.5 million agriculture borrowers, with the SME share rising to 13 percent.

Housing approvals rose by Rs38.3 billion since end-August, a 12 percent increase in under a week to September 4, 2026. Of 156,813 applications received, 60,349 loans worth Rs351.3 billion were approved, and 9,717 loans totalling Rs51.13 billion had been disbursed. Aurangzeb has asked banks to move from approvals to actual disbursements, since financing frameworks will have little effect unless credit reaches the ground.