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ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday directed officials to complete all stages of the government’s privatisation programme within the prescribed timelines, stressing that the privatisation of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) should protect its core mandate of supporting the agricultural sector.
Presiding over a meeting on the privatisation of state-owned enterprises, the prime minister instructed the relevant ministries and institutions to work in close coordination to ensure that all targets and deadlines under the privatisation programme were met.
He said the privatisation structure for ZTBL should be designed in a way that safeguards the bank’s primary role in agricultural financing, adding that the institution should continue to prioritise lending and financial services for small and medium-sized farmers after privatisation.
PM Shehbaz said improving farmers’ access to financial resources was essential for increasing per-acre agricultural productivity, adding that agricultural development remained critical to the country’s economic growth and food security.
