ISLAMABAD  -  The Pakistan Banks’ Association (PBA), under its priority sector initiatives, is leading a range of strategic projects aimed at fostering a more inclusive and sustainable financial ecosystem in Pakistan. These initiatives were presented by PBA Chairman Zafar Masud during a high-level meeting convened by the Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb. The meeting was attended by Jameel Ahmad, Governor State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), alongside senior representatives from participating organisations.

Zafar Masud outlined several initiatives developed in close consultation with the SBP to address critical challenges in key sectors, including agriculture, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and digital and technology. The proposals included:

• Electronic Warehouse Receipt Financing: To enhance liquidity in the agricultural sector.

• Corporate Farming Financing: To modernise agricultural practices.

• SME Index Creation: To monitor and support the growth of SMEs in Pakistan.

In the digital and technology domain, the Chairman emphasised the importance of establishing a venture capital fund to drive fintech innovation, reviving agricultural cooperatives to boost rural financial inclusion, and developing a financial data exchange to enable data-driven financial solutions. These initiatives have the potential to significantly transform and strengthen Pakistan’s financial landscape.

The PBA also underscored the need to prioritize short-term, high-impact initiatives, including:

• Fan Financing: To promote energy efficiency.

• Electric Vehicle (EV) Financing: To support sustainable transportation.

• Solarisation of Tube Wells: To enhance agricultural productivity.

• Markup Subsidies and First-Loss Coverage: To encourage SME financing.

Governor SBP recognised the progress made on PBA’s proposals and assured regulatory support for their effective implementation. He committed to issuing necessary notifications to facilitate these initiatives.

The finance minister lauded the collaborative efforts of PBA and SBP and emphasised the urgency of finalising high-impact projects by December, with a rollout planned for early next year. The meeting concluded with a strong commitment from all stakeholders to mutual collaboration. Chairman PBA stated, “Building an ecosystem for priority sector initiatives to thrive and deliver results is a long-term process. It requires time, and the benefits will become evident only later, so we must remain patient and persistent in our efforts. This is the first time the banking industry has collectively undertaken such a significant initiative, and we will soon begin to see the outcomes of these efforts.”