The figures were shared during the sixth meeting of the Financial Inclusion Steering Committee in Islamabad. The briefing covered progress on affordable financing for small businesses, farmers, exporters and low-income households, as well as housing and electric vehicle schemes.
As of October 23, the government’s Asaan Agricultural Loan Scheme had approved 20,176 loans worth Rs8.674 billion. Another 6,132 interest-free or unsecured loans worth Rs2.34 billion had been issued to small farmers, according to the briefing.
Total agricultural lending in the country has reached Rs1.329 trillion, benefiting around 3.5 million borrowers.
Under the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Programme, 86,896 loans worth Rs511 billion have been approved, while 15,584 loans worth Rs91 billion have been disbursed. The country’s total housing finance has reached Rs455 billion, benefiting approximately 241,500 people.
The meeting was also informed that 21,918 loans worth Rs3.06 billion had been approved under the Prime Minister’s Pakistan Accelerated Vehicle Electrification Scheme. Of these, 5,506 loans worth Rs1.093 billion had been disbursed, and 3,263 electric vehicles had been delivered to customers.
Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb directed the relevant financial institutions and government departments to accelerate loan approvals and disbursements, particularly for small businesses and the agricultural sector.
He stressed the need to ensure that affordable financing reaches its intended beneficiaries and that application and approval procedures become more efficient.
Aurangzeb also called for promoting digital lending through secure data sharing, stronger consumer privacy protections and improved systems for assessing borrowers’ financial circumstances.
The meeting reviewed measures to improve the implementation of financing schemes aimed at supporting small businesses, boosting agricultural productivity, expanding homeownership and encouraging environmentally friendly transport.