PM Orders Easier Financing for Housing, Farmers and SMEs
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reviews Access to Finance Plan 2026–28 as government reports 147,504 housing applications, Rs313.42 billion in approved financing and new Rs2 trillion lending targets for both agriculture and SMEs by June 2028.
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday directed banks and financial institutions to expand access to affordable credit for farmers, small and medium enterprises and prospective homeowners as he reviewed progress under the government’s Access to Finance Plan 2026–28.
Chairing a review meeting in Islamabad, the prime minister said financial institutions should play a greater role in providing financing to agriculture, SMEs and the housing sector, while banks demonstrating stronger performance in extending credit would be encouraged by the government.
Sharif described agriculture as a backbone of Pakistan’s economy and directed authorities to ensure farmers have uninterrupted access to financing on easier terms. He also reiterated that affordable housing for low- and middle-income households remained a government priority.
According to figures presented at the meeting, the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Scheme has received 147,504 applications, of which 53,127 have been approved. The approved applications represent financing worth Rs313.42 billion, while 8,739 applicants have so far received Rs45.43 billion in loans, according to the Prime Minister’s Office briefing.
The latest figures indicate continued expansion from figures reported by the Finance Division in late August, when applications stood at nearly 139,000, approvals exceeded 46,000 and disbursements had crossed Rs38 billion.
Housing, Agriculture Financing Expanded
The prime minister directed provincial chief secretaries to conduct comprehensive surveys to identify properties that could qualify for bank financing under the Apna Ghar programme. Officials told the meeting that a system was being developed to identify mortgage-eligible plots across Pakistan, with Islamabad selected for the pilot phase.
Authorities also plan to develop a mechanism for involving established housing developers in the scheme to improve coordination between property development and mortgage financing.
The meeting reviewed agricultural lending as well. According to the briefing, bank financing for agriculture stood at Rs1.268 trillion in August 2026, while the Access to Finance Plan sets a target of Rs2 trillion by June 2028. This is consistent with the government’s previously announced medium-term target to take both agriculture and SME financing to Rs1.5 trillion by June 2027 and Rs2 trillion by June 2028.
Under the Zarkhez-e digital agricultural financing initiative, officials said 35,838 applications for easier loans had been received. Financing worth Rs7.35 billion had been approved, of which Rs1.96 billion had been disbursed.
SME financing reached Rs1.067 trillion by August 2026, according to the meeting briefing, with the government similarly targeting Rs2 trillion by June 2028. SMEDA was also reported to have provided financial-literacy training to 1,096 SMEs during the previous three months.
The Access to Finance Plan has been under accelerated implementation since July, with a steering committee overseeing financing initiatives across housing, agriculture, SMEs and other priority sectors. The framework includes regular monitoring of applications, approvals, disbursements and borrower growth.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, other federal ministers and advisers, State Bank Governor Jameel Ahmad, chief secretaries from the provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, representatives of financial institutions and senior government officials attended the meeting.
