ISLAMABAD: From a new home to a bigger farm, a growing business or an electric vehicle, Pakistan is betting on easier access to finance to turn economic stability into real activity.
Since June 2026, lending has accelerated across housing, agriculture, small businesses and green transport, as policymakers push more capital into investment, job creation and exports, Khurram Schehzad, Advisor to Finance Minister, said in a text message.
The push is part of a broader access to inclusive finance agenda aimed at directing financing toward productive sectors rather than simply increasing the volume of lending. The strategy focuses on expanding opportunities for households, farmers and businesses while strengthening private-sector activity and export capacity.
Under the Apna Ghar program, applications have increased 84% to more than 46,000. Approved financing has nearly doubled to about 280 billion rupees, while disbursements have risen 59% to more than 7,600 loans.
The increase is supporting homeownership and creating activity across construction, building materials, SMEs and related employment.
Agricultural financing has also expanded, with the number of agricultural borrowers rising by about 115,000 to 3.37 million. Under the Zarkhez-e program, bank approvals have increased 12% to nearly 16,700, while disbursements have risen 13% to nearly 5,000 loans.
The program is aimed at expanding collateral-free financing for small and tenant farmers, helping improve access to credit while supporting agricultural productivity and rural incomes.
Small and medium-sized enterprises are another key focus. About 330,000 SMEs are accessing roughly 1.05 trillion rupees in formal financing. New credit-scoring models being introduced across 13 banks are also designed to help businesses obtain financing without relying solely on traditional collateral.
The financing strategy is increasingly linking credit with production and exports through working capital, long-term investment, export refinancing and performance-based incentives. The aim is to help businesses expand capacity, improve competitiveness and generate more exports and foreign-exchange earnings.
Green finance is also gaining momentum. Under the PAVE program, financing approvals have increased 24%, while loan disbursements have risen 34%. Electric vehicle deliveries have more than tripled, increasing from 471 to more than 1,500.
The growth in EV financing is intended to support cleaner mobility while encouraging investment and creating new economic activity in emerging industries.
Taken together, the developments reflect an effort to connect financing more directly with investment, production, employment and exports. Rather than focusing only on financial access, the agenda seeks to broaden economic participation and encourage productive use of capital.
The longer-term objective is to strengthen a private-sector-led, export-oriented economy by giving more households, farmers and businesses access to financing that can support investment and sustainable growth.
