Zarai Taraqiati Bank limited (ZTBL) should continue its efforts to reduce poverty through making the agriculture sector a self-sufficient by providing ample and timely credit to 60 million farmers. This was stated by the ZTBL President Istaqbal Mehdi while addressing the bank's senior management the its in Head office here on Monday.
He said the bank had tremendous potential, and after its restructuring, sound financial base, capacity building and extended outreach had made it a viable bank of the future. It now stands geared to cater to all banking needs of the customers.
The experience of bank's management in agri credit had no match and their support had really turnaround the institution for extending more credit to the needy segment of productive and yielding agriculture and non farm activities.
The restructuring initiative, ZTBL President said, taken by the government had consolidated and organised it for enhancing credit delivery mechanism. The improvement in bank's operations with prudent polices aimed at consolidation, earned it "AAA" rating which was a landmark in the bank's history, he added.
Mehdi further said the removal of impending constraints symbolised the magnitude of change and transformation of institution fundamentally and quantitatively to yield better return to the farmers of his produce and that had been possible due to comprehensive reform agenda.
He advised the bank's management and core management team to integrate their efforts for continuity of reform and good governance structure needed to alleviate poverty and rural uplift for self sustained agriculture growth.
Mehdi expressed his satisfaction over the bank's progress and lauded the efforts of the management for their proactive support and professional expertise in addressing issues faced by the erstwhile Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP).