Prime Minister Imran Khan has stressed the need for providing all kinds of facilities to the poor people in getting bank loans and particularly taking care of their self-respect.
He expressed such views while presiding over the weekly meeting of the National Coordination Committee on Housing, Construction and Development here on Thursday.
The State Bank of Pakistan governor briefed the meeting about the provision of loans to the poor and middle class segments of the society on easy installments. Heads of the National Bank of Pakistan, Allied Bank Limited, Meezan Bank, Bank Al Habib, Habib Bank and Bank of Punjab apprised the prime minister about the provision of loans under the Naya Pakistan Housing Programme.
It was highlighted that with the setting up of special desks at their respective branches, the process of getting loans had been made very easy. Moreover, private banks would provide loans both under Islamic and conventional banking.
The heads of banks assured their full support and cooperation to the government in the promotion of the construction sector and facilitating the poor segments of the society for the construction of their own houses. They lauded the prime minister and the government’s economic team for taking measures for the business community including the banks, keeping in view the situation in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The meeting was told that technology was being used to make the process of providing loans in a short time so that the documents of loan applicants could also be verified early and speedily. The prime minister was told that more private banks would also start providing loans.
The Punjab chief secretary informed that an online portal had been established for the constructors and builders. The portal had so far received 6,994 applications and 54 per cent of those had been approved.
In order to avoid delay in the approval process, the chief secretary said the institutions concerned had also been linked with the online portal. With the provision of a time-line for the approval of applications, the applicant also remained updated about his/her case through the mobile application, the provincial chief secretary said.
The prime minister urged all the provinces to fully utilise the online portal so that the process of approvals could be made early and transparent.
Meeting with Punjab MPAs
PM Imran Khan has directed the Punjab ministers to be on the front foot while fighting for the state and country’s statement. This came during a meeting with Mian Mehmoodur Rashid, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Raja Basharat, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Dr Murad Raas, Raja Yasir Humayun and Ansar Majeed, sources told Express News.
The premier also tasked the Punjab MPAs to defend the party’s version in full style. Sources said that PM Imran had asked about that “why the party’s senior ministers from Punjab were silent, what is the reason that such MPAs don’t come on the front.”
Sources quoted PM Imran as saying “[Punjab] ministers should be on the front foot while fighting for the state and country’s statement”.
However, the premier appreciated Punjab Information Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan’s role in highlighting the party’s version. “Like Chohan, other ministers should also be on the front foot and the senior ministers should end their silence,” PM Imran said. APP (WITH INPUT FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT)
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