ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, chaired a meeting on Agriculture Transformation Plan at the Finance Division today.
The meeting reviewed the progress on the prime minister’s directions to enhance agriculture credit for the farming sector. The Deputy Governor, State Bank of Pakistan, made a presentation on the consultative process followed by key stakeholders and detailed proposals to enhance the agriculture credit. It was recommended to make the Loan for Agriculture, Commercial & Industrial Purposes (LACIP) Act 1973 more effective by bringing amendments in areas of foreclosure and simultaneously streamlining procedures for swift processing of agriculture loans. It was also emphasised that judges against vacant positions in Banking Courts need to be appointed on priority.
Speaking on occasion, the Finance Minister urged all concerned to come up with a clear action plan along with timelines and a responsibility matrix to finalise different proposals presented in the meeting. He constituted a 5-member committee comprising Secretary Law and Justice Division, Secretary NFS&R, Governor SBP and other senior officials of the relevant institutions and Ministries to complete the task.
The Finance Minister reiterated the Government’s firm commitment to promoting the agriculture sector through the effective and speedy implementation of the Agriculture Transformation Plan as approved by the Prime Minister, he concluded.
Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Syed Fakhar Imam, Governor State Bank of Pakistan Dr Reza Baqir, Secretary Law and Justice Division, Secretary Economic Affairs Division, Secretary Ministry of National Food Security and Research, President National Bank of Pakistan, President ZTBL, President Bank of Punjab, senior members from Boards of Revenue of Punjab, Sindh, KP, Balochistan & AJK and senior officials from the Finance Division participated in the meeting.
