With an allocation of Rs 300 million, the Punjab government has decided to start a loan programme on soft terms and conditions for the promotion of cottage industry in the province. A loan worth Rs 300,000 will be given along with the return period of three years and three months grace period.
Similarly, loan scheme worth Rs 6 billion will be started for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Under this scheme, loan amount up to Rs three million will be extended with a grace period of six months. Under the loan markup support programme, the existing SMEs will also get loans on soft terms and Rs 3 billion will be allocated for this scheme.
In this regard, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar at his office here on Tuesday in which briefing was given about these programmes.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that soft loans programmes will help promote the industrial sector, and especially the industries facing paucity of resources, will be benefited by it. The youth will also learn new skills to get job opportunities.
The chief minister directed that the loans disbursement process should be made transparent as well as speedy. Industries Minister Mian Aslam Iqbal, administrative secretaries, MD PSIC and others attended the meeting.
Moreover, the Punjab CM, while expressing concern over artificial price-hike especially unnecessary increase in the prices of vegetables, has directed the Price-Control Task Force to take effective measures for stabilizing the prices of food items.
Sardar Usman said that vegetables will be available at government rates at agri fair-price shops of model bazaars. The decision has been made to expand the scope of model bazaars to the level of tehsil and the chief minister directed to submit a plan in this regard.
The CM said that Provincial Price-Control Authority will be established on the pattern of Punjab Food Authority and the required mechanism should be given final shape at the earliest.
He asked the line departments to play their role in this regard while district administration should also ensure strict monitoring of items' rates.
He said price-control magistrates should proactively perform and rate lists should be conspicuously displayed at all the shops.
Moreover, the CM said that human beings are continuously facing pain and misery in Indian-Occupied Kashmir for the last 100 days and this curfew is the worst violation of human rights as well as an ugly example of barbarity.
He asked the international community to pressurize India to end curfew in Occupied Kashmir as India has been unsuccessful to subjugate the Kashmiris by depriving them of all the basic necessities of life.
He said that Kashmiris courage and passion is high and strong despite the cruelties of Indian occupied army and continued curfew. India cannot suppress the indigenous freedom movement of the Kashmiris through continued barbarity and cruelties, he added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019
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