Rs511b approved, Rs91b disbursed under Apna Ghar

Aurangzeb praises housing progress but presses banks, agencies on SME, agri-lending

ISLAMABAD:

Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb has called on financial institutions and implementing agencies to step up efforts in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and agriculture financing, stressing greater urgency and faster disbursements, even as he praised progress in housing finance under the Prime Minister's Apna Ghar scheme, where Rs511 billion has been approved but only Rs91 billion disbursed, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday.

Outstanding financing to SMEs reached Rs1.148 trillion, including Rs538 billion for small enterprises, as of October 23, 2026, the sixth meeting of the Access to Finance Steering Committee was told.

Agriculture financing reached Rs1.329 trillion across about 3.5 million borrowers. Under the Zarkhez-e Asaan Zarai Qarza scheme, 20,176 applications worth Rs8.674 billion were approved, while 6,132 collateral-free loans worth Rs2.34 billion were disbursed to smallholder farmers. Discussions also covered measures to strengthen livestock and dairy financing and expand private-sector participation across agricultural value chains.

Outstanding housing finance stood at Rs455 billion for 241,500 borrowers. Under Apna Ghar, 86,896 applications involving Rs511 billion were approved and 15,584 loans worth Rs91 billion disbursed, with the committee discussing steps to accelerate disbursements and address housing supply constraints, including financing for builders and under-construction projects.

Under the Pakistan Accelerated Vehicle Electrification (PAVE) scheme, 21,918 applications involving Rs3.06 billion were approved, 5,506 loans worth Rs1.093 billion disbursed and 3,263 electric vehicles delivered.

The committee reviewed digital initiatives for credit assessment, including pilots for SME credit scoring and exporter financing, with the minister emphasising secure, consent-based data sharing and confidentiality safeguards.