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Finance Minister chairs Access to Finance Steering Committee; reviews strong progress across priority sectors
Federal Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb chaired the fortnightly Access to Finance Steering Committee meeting, reviewing progress in housing, agriculture, SMEs, exports, IT, and renewable energy. The committee reported significant gains, including rising housing finance, more mortgage approvals, and expanded credit access for farmers and businesses.
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, chaired the fortnightly meeting of the Access to Finance Steering Committee, which reviewed progress on initiatives to expand affordable and inclusive finance across housing, agriculture, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), exports, information technology, renewable energy, and other priority sectors. The committee noted significant progress on select Access to Finance initiatives since the close of the last fiscal year, alongside legal, regulatory, and institutional reforms strengthening the financing ecosystem.
The Finance Minister said the objective is to channel greater financial-sector capacity towards productive investment, enterprise creation, home ownership, agricultural productivity, and exports, translating macroeconomic stability into stronger, private sector-led and inclusive growth.
Housing Finance
A central focus of the meeting was housing finance. The committee noted that total housing finance increased from around Rs294 billion at end-June to Rs307 billion by mid-August, a notable rise within a little under two months.
Progress under the Wazir-e-Azam Apna Ghar Program accelerated significantly. Since June, applications increased 52 percent to nearly 139,000; approvals rose 84 percent to over 46,000; approved financing nearly doubled from Rs144 billion to Rs279 billion; and loans disbursed increased 59 percent to over 7,600, amounting to more than Rs38 billion.
Legal and Regulatory Framework
The committee emphasised that the State Bank of Pakistan’s revised Prudential Regulations for Housing Finance support this momentum. These regulations include a 90:10 loan-to-value ratio, a 65 percent debt-burden ratio, informal-income assessment models, simplified property valuation and documentation, digital processes, and longer financing tenors.
The committee particularly highlighted the passage of the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) (Amendment) Act, 2026 (FIRA) as a major structural reform, strengthening the legal framework for the recovery and enforcement of mortgage-based lending.
Agricultural and SME Financing
The committee reviewed progress in access to finance for agriculture and SMEs. Agricultural borrowers increased from approximately 3.26 million at the end of June to 3.37 million by mid-August, adding around 115,000 borrowers, with financing remaining near Rs1.26 trillion.
Under the Zarkhez-e-Asaan Zarai Qarza initiative, more than 58,000 farmers registered. Since June, bank approvals increased around 12 percent to nearly 16,700, approved financing limits exceeded Rs7.2 billion, and loans disbursed rose about 13 percent to nearly 5,000.
The committee also noted that formal financing for SMEs stood at about 1.05 trillion, covering approximately 330,000 businesses, and reviewed the ongoing credit-scoring pilot across 13 banks. Medium-term ambition is to expand both agriculture and SME financing to Rs1.5 trillion by June 2027 and Rs2 trillion by June 2028.
Export Sector
For exporters, the committee reviewed the Performance Based Rebate on Incremental Services (PRIE), effective July 1, 2026, under which exporters achieving growth of up to 10 percent qualify for a 1 percent rebate on incremental exports, growth above 10 percent attracts a 2 percent rebate. Particular emphasis has been placed on enabling export-oriented SMEs to access financing through banks under facilities administered by the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank).
Green Financing
Progress under the PAVE Programme was also discussed. By mid-August, more than 83,000 applications had been received, around 15,800 conditional approved, and nearly 4,000 loans delivered were disbursed. Since June, approvals increased by approximately 24 percent and disbursements by 34 percent, while the number of electric vehicles delivered more than tripled from 471 to over 1,500.
Digital and Monitoring Initiatives
The committee reviewed the Prime Minister’s online digital housing portal. The Finance Minister directed regular bank-by-bank weekly and monthly monitoring of financing, borrower growth, approvals, and disbursements, and called for wider public awareness through frequent communication so that farmers, SMEs, exporters, prospective homeowners, and entrepreneurs are fully aware of available financing opportunities.
Concluding the Landsby, Senator Aurangzeb said access to finance is ultimately about expanding access to economic opportunity. He stressed the goal of channeling greater financial-sector capacity towards productive investment, creativity, enterprise creation, energy and home ownership, and agricultural productivity and exports, thereby translating macroeconomic stability into broader, private sector-led growth.
How each outlet told it
| Associated Press Of Pakistan
Framing: Headline emphasizes the Finance Minister chairing the meeting and 'strong progress' across priority sectors, similar to the Nation headline. — Positive and official — 'strong progress' and 'significant progress' convey a favorable assessment.
Facts Included:
Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, chaired the meeting.
Fortnightly meeting of the Access to Finance Steering Committee.
Progress initiatives across housing, agriculture, SMEs, exports, IT, renewable energy and other priority sectors.
Housing finance increased from Rs294 billion at end-June to Rs307 billion by mid-August.
Wazir-e-Azam Apna Ghar Program: applications up 52% to nearly 139,000, approvals up 84% to over 46,000, approved financing doubled from Rs144 billion to Rs279 billion, loans disbursed up 59% to over 7,600, Rs38 billion.
Passage of FIRA highlighted as major structural reform.
Agriculture borrowers increased from 3.26 million to 3.37 million, financing around Rs1.26 trillion.
Zarkhez-e – Asaan Zarai Qarza: over 58,000 farmers registered, approvals up 12% to nearly 16,700, approved limits Rs7.2 billion, loans disbursed up 13% to nearly 5,000.
SME financing around Rs1.05 trillion, covering 330,000 businesses.
Credit-scoring pilot across 13 banks.
Medium-term targets to expand agriculture and SME financing to Rs1.5 trillion by June 2027 and Rs2 trillion by June 2028.
PRIE effective July 1, 2026, with rebate tiers.
EXIM Bank facilities for export-oriented SMEs.
PAVE Programme: over 83,000 applications, 15,800 approved, nearly 4,000 loans disbursed, approvals up 24%, disbursements up 34%, EVs delivered tripled from 471 to 1,500.
Digital housing portal and integration.
Finance Minister's directives on monitoring and awareness.
Concluding remarks on economic opportunity and coordination.
Framing: Headline emphasizes the Finance Minister chairing the meeting and 'strong progress' across priority sectors, but does not specify any particular sector or data point. — Celebratory and administrative — phrases like 'significant progress' and 'strong progress' convey a positive, official outlook.
Facts Included:
Finance Minister chairs the fortnightly meeting of the Steering Committee.
Progress on initiatives across housing, agriculture, SMEs, exports, IT, renewable energy and other priority sectors.
Total housing finance increased from Rs294 billion at end-June to Rs307 billion by mid-August.
Wazir-e-Azam Apna Ghar Program: applications up 52% to nearly 139,000, approvals up 84% to over 46,000, approved financing doubled from Rs144 billion to Rs279 billion, loans disbursed up 59% to over 7,600, amount Rs38 billion.
Passage of Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) (Amendment) Act, 2026 (FIRA) highlighted.
Agriculture borrowers increased from 3.26 million to 3.37 million, adding approximately 115,000 borrowers, financing around Rs1.26 trillion.
Zarkhez-e – Asaan Zarai Qarza: over 58,000 farmers registered, approvals up 12% to nearly 16,700, approved limits Rs7.2 billion, loans disbursed up 13% to nearly 5,000.
SME financing around Rs1.05 trillion, covering approximately 330,000 businesses.
Credit-scoring pilot across 13 banks.
Medium-term ambition: expand agriculture and SME financing to Rs1.5 trillion by June 2027 and Rs2 trillion by June 2028.
Performance Based Rebate on Incremental Exports (PRIE) effective July 1, 2026, with 1% rebate for up to 10% growth, 2% for above.
Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank) facilities for export-oriented SMEs.
PAVE Programme: over 83,000 applications, 15,800 approved, nearly 4,000 loans disbursed, approvals up 24%, disbursements up 34%, EVs delivered tripled from 471 to over 1,500.
Prime Minister’s online digital housing portal reviewed.
Finance Minister directed bank-wise weekly/monthly monitoring, called for wider public awareness.
Concluding remarks: access to finance expands economic opportunity, coordination among Finance Division, SBP, SECP, PBA, ministries, financial institutions.
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Claim
Confidence
Status
ClaimFederal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, chaired the fortnightly meeting of the Access to Finance Steering Committee.
ClaimThe committee highlighted the passage of the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) (Amendment) Act, 2026 (FIRA) as a major structural reform strengthening the legal framework for recovery and enforcement of mortgage-based lending.
ClaimParticular emphasis is placed on enabling export-oriented SMEs to access financing through banks under facilities administered by the Export-Import Bank of Pakistan (EXIM Bank).
ClaimThe Finance Minister called for wider public awareness through frequent communication so that farmers, SMEs, exporters, prospective homeowners and entrepreneurs are fully aware of available financing opportunities.
ClaimThe Finance Minister said the objective is to channel greater financial-sector capacity towards productive investment, enterprise creation, home ownership, agricultural productivity and exports, translating macroeconomic stability into stronger, private sector-led and inclusive growth.