{
  "id": 19088581,
  "title": "Youth Business and Agriculture Loan schemes: PM raises borrowing amount, lowers minimum age limit",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/09/youth-business-and-agriculture-loan-schemes-pm-raises-borrowing",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-09T04:22:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2043242/youth-business-and-agriculture-loan-schemes-pm-raises-borrowing-amount-lowers-minimum-age-limit"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has raised the personal loan limit in the Youth Business and Agriculture Loan schemes and lowered the minimum age requirement to include 18-year-olds. During a meeting on Sunday, Sharif directed that the loan limit be increased from Rs7.5 million to Rs25 million, with the loans to be provided in manageable installments. A total of Rs292 billion has been allocated this year for loan disbursement to youth under these schemes. The prime minister praised Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and his team for their efforts in empowering the youth, providing business opportunities, and encouraging their participation in the agricultural sector. Sharif mandated that 30% of the loans be allocated to women, aiming to foster their economic independence and boost their involvement in business activities. He also ordered the reduction of the minimum age limit for loan acquisition from 21 years to 18 years, enabling young people to explore entrepreneurial ventures and agricultural pursuits at a younger age. The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (Smeda) was instructed to offer comprehensive assistance to the youth under the scheme, including guidance on starting businesses, consultancy, and technical support. Since January 2023, loans have been granted to 581,341 young people, amounting to approximately Rs313.9 billion. It is projected that Rs292 billion will be disbursed to 266,700 recipients during the fiscal year 2026-27. The meeting included Finance Minister Aurangzeb, SAPM on Youth Affairs Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, and SAPM on Political Affairs Talha Burki. Additionally, Defence Production Minister Raza Hayat Harraj met with Sharif to discuss matters of common interest and the nation's political and economic circumstances. Sharif expressed deep sorrow over the shooting incident in Krakow, which claimed lives and left many injured, stating that Pakistan stands in solidarity with Poland during this time of immense loss.",
  "summary": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2043142",
  "key_points": [
    "Minimum age requirement lowered to 18 years for loan acquisition.",
    "30% of loans allocated to women to promote economic independence."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Expanding loan limits and lowering age requirements broadens the entrepreneurial pipeline for young people and women, signaling a state-led push to integrate more diverse demographics into the national economy.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}