Overall, the NBP disbursed Rs 17.127 billion among 17,081 applicants across Pakistan, and Multan region's contribution of Rs 4.406 billion comes to approximately 26.52 per cent of the total disbursement, regional head of NBP Multan Farrukh Ghauri told APP.
He said that NBP Multan region had released Rs 1.748 billion to 1622 applicants, another Rs 2.659 billion to 2909 applicants in 2016 and in the first one and half months of 2017 i.e till Feb 15, Ghauri said.
General Manager Operations NBP Multan region Kamran Tareen said that government had allocated 50 per cent quota for women but number of women applicants remained far less than the allocated quota.
He, however, added that all the 594 women applicants were granted approval and Rs 0.577 billion were disbursed among them.
The number of male applicants was 3937 and a sum of Rs 3.830 billion was given to them as loan, Kamran Tareen added.
Farrukh Ghauri said that PMYLS received greater response from South Punjab cities of Layyah, Alipur, Rajanpur and Sahiwal. He added that 42 branches of NBP were extending PMYLS facility in thirteen districts of NBP Multan region.
Almost half of the disbursement i.e Rs 2.264 billion went to agriculture related businesses including livestock, dairy, and others, while the rest of Rs 2.142 billion for other general businesses.
Kamran Tareen said that women from city areas availed loans mostly for boutique, garments, beauty parlours, while rural area women availed the facility for dairy farming.