Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed major reforms in the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) and asked for accelerated efforts to support small and medium-scale farmers through affordable credit.
In a key meeting on agriculture loans and banking performance, the prime minister emphasized the vital role of small landholders in the country’s food security and economy. He pointed out that many face difficulty securing loans, and this imbalance needs urgent correction.
He said that giving small farmers easy access to seasonal and long-term loans is essential to increasing agricultural output and ensuring economic inclusion.
To maintain momentum, the premier announced that he would personally review ZTBL’s reform progress every three weeks. The move is intended to keep the bank accountable and on track.
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Several suggestions were presented to improve the performance of ZTBL and extend its services to previously neglected farmers. The need to modernize procedures and improve customer outreach was also discussed.
The meeting further explored ways to involve private banks in agriculture financing. The prime minister instructed that such banks be motivated to offer soft-term loans to rural farmers to reduce reliance on one institution.
He stressed that joint efforts by the government, ZTBL, and private financial institutions are required to ease the credit process and increase loan distribution across farming communities.