The prime minister directs banks, the State Bank and FBR to improve access to financing for farmers, small businesses, exporters and homebuyers, while Rs511 billion in housing loans has been approved under the Apna Ghar Programme.
ISLAMABAD, November 2, 2026: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made economic growth and employment generation through small and medium enterprises (SMEs), housing and agriculture key government priorities, directing financial institutions to accelerate lending to these sectors.
Chairing a review meeting on facilitating credit for priority sectors on Monday, the prime minister urged commercial banks to expand financing for farmers, entrepreneurs and homebuyers to support private-sector development and economic activity.
He praised banks performing well under government lending initiatives but warned that the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Ministry of Finance should not extend concessions to institutions delaying loans to farmers, SMEs and beneficiaries of the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Programme.
Shehbaz said banks played a crucial role in private-sector development and should cooperate with the government in expanding access to credit.
He highlighted the potential of SMEs to strengthen economic growth, increase exports and generate employment, while describing agriculture as the backbone of Pakistan’s economy.
He added that value addition in agricultural products could help increase exports, while the Apna Ghar Programme would stimulate several industries associated with housing and construction.
PM directs action plan for SME and agriculture financing
The prime minister directed the finance minister to resolve financing-related issues faced by stakeholders in the SME, agriculture and housing sectors and develop a comprehensive action plan.
He also instructed the SBP and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to jointly address tax-related issues affecting SMEs and exporters.
Furthermore, he called for a comprehensive risk coverage strategy to facilitate easier access to loans for small businesses.
SME Connect portal launched for digital loan applications
During the meeting, officials briefed participants on the SBP’s strategy to increase financing for priority sectors through three key areas: improving regulations, sharing financial risks and costs between the government and banks, and expanding digital facilities.
The central bank has recently launched the SME Connect digital portal, available at smeconnect.sbp.org.pk, enabling businesses to apply for loans and monitor the progress of their applications.
The government is also working to introduce risk-sharing arrangements and credit guarantees for housing, agriculture and SMEs.
Measures are being taken to simplify loan application procedures, reduce documentation requirements and improve access to financial resources through digital systems.
Rs511 billion approved under Apna Ghar Programme
The meeting was informed that the SBP had made significant progress in facilitating loans to priority sectors.
As of October 23, 2026, banks had approved loans worth Rs511 billion under the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Programme, covering 86,899 applications.
Of the approved amount, Rs91 billion had been disbursed to 15,584 applicants.
Meanwhile, total housing finance in the country had reached Rs455 billion, benefiting 187,317 borrowers.
Agriculture and SME financing reaches Rs2,477 billion
The meeting was also informed that outstanding financing in the agriculture sector had reached Rs1,329 billion, benefiting approximately 3.5 million borrowers.
Similarly, SME financing had increased to Rs1,148 billion, with 342,458 entrepreneurs receiving loans.
The government has set a target to increase financing in both agriculture and SME sectors to Rs1,500 billion each by the end of financial year 2027.
This would raise the combined financing target for the two sectors to Rs3,000 billion.
Officials also presented performance indicators for commercial banks operating in the three priority sectors. The prime minister appreciated institutions demonstrating strong performance in extending credit.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Ahsan Iqbal, Rana Tanveer Hussain, Dr Musadik Malik, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attaullah Tarar and Shaza Fatima Khawaja.
Advisor to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar, Minister of State Bilal Azhar Kayani, SBP Governor Jamil Ahmed, parliamentarians and senior government officials also attended, alongside heads and representatives of leading commercial banks.