{
  "id": 6401937,
  "title": "PM Shehbaz directs banks to expand financing for agriculture, SMEs, housing",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/pm-shehbaz-directs-banks-to-expand-financing-for-agriculture-smes",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-09T01:43:31.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Express Tribune - Pakistan",
    "slug": "the-express-tribune-pakistan",
    "url": "https://tribune.com.pk/story/2628293/pm-shehbaz-directs-banks-to-expand-financing-for-agriculture-smes-housing"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the need for banks to increase financing for agriculture, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the housing sector during a review meeting on the Access to Finance Plan 2026-28 in Islamabad. The government aims to achieve Rs2 trillion in agricultural financing by June 2028, while also seeking to expand lending to SMEs and housing. According to the PMO, 35,838 loan applications were received through the Zarkhez-e app, with Rs7.35 billion approved and Rs1.96 billion disbursed. The prime minister directed authorities to ensure farmers have easy access to financial resources at favorable terms. For housing, the government prioritizes providing affordable housing for low- and middle-income groups, and is conducting a comprehensive survey of properties for banks to offer loans under the Prime Minister’s Apna Ghar Scheme. Lending to SMEs stood at Rs1.067 trillion by August 2026, with a target of Rs2 trillion by June 2028. The meeting also discussed initiatives to identify mortgage-eligible plots nationwide and involve leading house developers in the scheme.",
  "summary": "PMO says 147,504 applications have so far been received under Apna Ghar Scheme",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "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."
}