PM Shehbaz unveils 2-year plan to supercharge SME lending

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has explicitly emphasized that the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) sector serves as the definitive backbone of the national economy. Consequently, he has directed commercial banks to aggressively expand their credit and loan facilities toward key priority sectors, placing a profound structural emphasis on empowering small business setups across the country.

This directive was issued during a high-level official meeting held in Islamabad, chaired directly by the Prime Minister, which focused on promoting and expanding the “Access to Finance” initiative across the nation. During the session, senior officials presented a comprehensive and detailed briefing to the Prime Minister regarding the strategic implementation parameters of the newly formulated Access to Finance Plan.

According to the official briefing, the primary operational priority of the administration is to ensure the seamless provision of financial facilities while actively integrating marginalized economic segments into the mainstream national financial network. The core underlying objectives of this extensive financial plan are to significantly boost national export volumes, foster long-term sustainable economic growth, and generate a substantial number of new employment opportunities for the country’s youth.Furthermore, the briefing disclosed that a robust new governance structure has been established to oversee the execution of this economic framework.

The Federal Minister for Finance will serve as the head of this newly formed governance body, while the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) will act as the co-head. Under this structured governance mechanism, formal review sessions will be conducted regularly, and the Prime Minister will be kept thoroughly informed with detailed progress reports on a monthly basis.The briefing also highlighted that explicit financial targets and lending goals have been officially set for the next two years to guarantee the steady flow of capital to vital business sectors.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister reiterated that providing easy and affordable credit terms to various commercial sectors is absolutely indispensable for achieving sustainable economic growth. He reaffirmed that the SME sector remains the fundamental engine driving Pakistan’s economic progress.The Prime Minister strongly urged banking institutions to substantially increase their lending portfolios for priority areas. To ensure compliance and motivation, he announced that the government would actively encourage and reward commercial banks that demonstrate outstanding performance in expanding financial access. Furthermore, the Prime Minister announced his personal commitment to the cause, stating that he will personally chair the monthly review meetings to closely monitor the ongoing implementation and progress of the Access to Finance Plan.

The strategic meeting was attended by a prominent lineup of top government officials and financial leaders. This included Federal Ministers Ishaq Dar, Rana Tanveer, Azam Nazeer Tarar, Ahad Cheema, Muhammad Aurangzeb, and Attaullah Tarar. Additionally, Minister of State Bilal Kiyani, Special Assistant Haroon Akhtar, the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan, presidents of major commercial banks, and the provincial Chief Secretaries were all actively present to solidify the economic roadmap.