ISLAMABAD (APP) - The Standing Committee on Finance, Revenue, Planning and Development has promised to solve the problems of the First Women Bank Limited at priority basis so that this special purpose public entity could successfully be run and become an asset for the financial sector and provide fair opportunities to the women of the country. The committee met here under the chairpersonship of Fauzia Wahab to discuss the FWBL performance. The committee also appreciated the performance of First Women Bank Limited and took serious note of its problems and challenges. Shafqat Sultana, FWBL President, briefing the Standing Committee said that the bank was facing challenges like implementation of Basel II, minimum capital requirement, organizational restructuring and human resource re-organization wherein bank looks forward to the government for immediate intervention. Sultana further said that since the government has earmarked the bank for privatization, its activities have been stopped. FWBL, the countrys only bank for women, was set up in 1989 with the aim to give a boost to the career of women who at present level have little access to institutional credit. Sultana informed that FWBL has unique charter of undertaking the conduct of all forms of business of banking company in a manner designed to meet special needs of women and to encourage and assist them in promotion and running of trade and industry and practice of profession. The bank has 38 branches with 557 employees while its paid up capital is Rs 284 million and the shareholders equity is Rs 1093 million. Sultana further stated that the bank has Rs 11,566 million of deposits and has advanced Rs 7,393 million. The bank has Rs. 13,596 million assets with the profit of Rs. 44 million and net asset value of per share of Rs. 38.55, she said adding it has satisfactory credit ratings. It has a unique model which deals in micro, SME and corporate banking. The banks main areas of financing are agriculture, chemicals, construction, crafts and jewelry, education and health, the bank president added. The bank has disbursed Rs. 27.6 billion out of which 58 per cent has gone to the women. This bank not only provides complete banking service but also some support services exclusively for the women e.g. computer literacy and the bank has a collaboration with different national, international private, public and non governmental organizations e.g UNDP, MOWD, NRSP etc. The meeting was attended by Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat, Abdul Rashid Gondil, Mir Nighat Parveen, Kashmala Tariq and Khawaja Muhammad Asif and other Finance and banks officials.