Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed authorities and banks to accelerate the processing of applications under the Prime Minister Apna Ghar Scheme and provide greater facilitation to citizens seeking affordable housing loans.
Chairing a review meeting on the progress of the housing initiative, the prime minister welcomed the growing public response to the scheme and said it could help fulfil the dream of home ownership for thousands of families across the country.
“It is encouraging that a large number of citizens are participating in the Apna Ghar Scheme. If we continue at this pace, the dream of home ownership for as many people as possible can be realised,” he said.
Shehbaz said the success of the programme would not only benefit homebuyers but also stimulate the construction sector, support related industries and contribute to broader economic growth.
The prime minister directed the Ministry of Housing and Works, in coordination with the State Bank of Pakistan, to simplify the scheme’s application form and make it easier for applicants to understand and complete.
He also instructed banks to expedite the approval process for eligible applications and called for a nationwide awareness campaign to ensure more people were informed about the programme.
The prime minister further directed provincial governments to establish facilitation desks at the district level to assist applicants in obtaining and verifying land ownership documents required for loan processing.
During the briefing, officials informed the meeting that Rs11 billion had been disbursed under the scheme so far.
The meeting was told that the number of applications increased significantly after rules and procedures were simplified in March this year. A total of 67,900 applications have been submitted from across the country, of which 16,587 have been approved. Loans have so far been disbursed to 3,146 applicants.
Officials said the establishment of a digital hub, facilitation desks and other measures was helping accelerate the provision of concessional housing loans.
The meeting was also informed that the State Bank had made it mandatory for banks to process applications under the scheme within 15 days.
According to the briefing, recently enacted condominium and financial institution recovery laws are expected to remove legal bottlenecks in the housing sector and encourage further growth and investment.
Officials further informed the prime minister that a dedicated digital portal had been launched to monitor the implementation and progress of the Apna Ghar Scheme.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ministers Ahad Khan Cheema, Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kayani, the governor of the State Bank, presidents and chief executives of commercial banks, provincial chief secretaries and senior officials from relevant institutions.
