Govt raises youth business loan limit to Rs25 million, lowers eligibility age to 18

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has lifted the maximum financing available through the Prime Minister’s Youth Business and Agriculture Loan Schemes to Rs25 million from Rs7.5 million, Profit by Pakistan Today reported. The minimum age for applicants is now 18, down from 21, while women are to receive 30% of the loans. The changes were announced at a review meeting on Sunday.

A briefing said 581,341 young people had borrowed Rs313.9 billion through the schemes since January 2023, with beneficiaries numbering ten times the total in the previous decade. For FY2026-27, the government has set aside Rs292 billion to finance about 266,700 young people. Sharif also tasked SMEDA with offering business advice, technical help and start-up support, and ordered a nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the schemes.