Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the provision of financial facilities on easy terms to various sectors is essential for Pakistan's sustainable economic growth.

He was chairing a high-level meeting in Islamabad on Friday to review the Access to Finance Plan.

Describing the SME sector as the backbone of Pakistan's economy, the Prime Minister called upon banks to significantly increase lending to priority sectors, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

He said easier access to finance would help boost exports, create new employment opportunities, and promote sustainable economic growth.

The Prime Minister said banks demonstrating better performance in extending financial facilities to priority sectors would be encouraged.

He also announced that he would personally chair monthly review meetings to monitor progress on the Access to Finance Plan.

Shehbaz Sharif said the government is committed to strengthening the economy and making it more export-oriented by expanding access to financial services.

During the meeting, the Prime Minister was briefed on the priorities and targets of the plan, aimed at accelerating the country's journey from economic stability to sustainable economic growth.

It was informed that the plan's key priorities include expanding access to financial services and integrating them into the national economic mainstream. The central focus of the plan is to enhance access to affordable credit for small and medium-sized enterprises, agriculture, exports, renewable energy, housing, and the information technology sector.

The briefing highlighted that the plan aims to boost exports, promote sustainable economic growth, and create new employment opportunities.

The meeting was told that a whole-of-government approach will be adopted for the implementation of the plan, involving the Ministry of Finance, the State Bank of Pakistan, provincial governments, and other relevant institutions.

It was said that the Minister for Finance will head the governance structure, while the Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan will serve as co-chair. Regular meetings will be held under the new governance framework, and the Prime Minister will be briefed on progress every month.

The briefing further stated that ambitious targets have been set for the next two years to expand access to finance across key sectors. These include increasing the share of SME lending in total private-sector credit from seven percent to ten percent and raising the number of SMEs benefiting from bank financing from 310,000 to 750,000.