Maria Imran 
SME housing agriculture financing
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting to consider measures to improve access to credit, as SME housing and agriculture financing is the core of the government’s economic plan. He said the priority was to support small and medium enterprises, housing and agriculture to bolster the economy and create jobs for young people.
SME Housing Agriculture Financing: Top Priority
The prime minister saluted banks that are lending well to farmers, businesses and homebuyers through government-backed schemes. He also directed the State Bank of Pakistan and the Ministry of Finance not to give concessions to banks that are sluggish in lending under the Apna Ghar scheme and other related programs.
Progress Under Apna Ghar And Priority Sectors
Loans worth PKR 511 billion have been approved under the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Program against 86,899 applications as of 23 October 2026. Of this, PKR 91 billion had been disbursed to 15,584 applicants, while total housing finance stood at PKR 455 billion with 187,317 borrowers.
The agriculture sector outstanding loans amount stood at PKR 1,329 billion, benefiting around 3.5 million people. The SME financing was PKR 1,148 billion, and the number of entrepreneurs who availed the loans was 342,458. The government has set a target of PKR 1,500 billion each for agriculture and SME lending by the end of 2026-27.
Reforms To Improve Access To Credit
Agriculture was the backbone of the economy and efforts were afoot to increase exports through value addition, the prime minister said. He said SMEs can drive growth, exports and employment while the Apna Ghar scheme will give a boost to many industries related to housing and construction.
Officials said the central bank is working on better regulation, shared risks and costs between government and banks and broader use of digital services. The new SME Connect portal at smeconnect.sbp.org.pk is now available for business owners to apply for loans online and track their progress. Simpler procedures and lower documentation requirements are also under development.
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