Finance Minister Ishaq Dar Wednesday urged the public sector financial institutions to review the mark-up rates for agriculture credit. The institutions like NBP and ZTBL should take the step particularly in view of the reduction in overall policy rate recently announced by the SBP, he said while chairing a meeting here which reviewed the provision of agriculture credit, particularly by public sector banks to farmers.
It was also pointed out that the mark-up rates charged on agriculture credit by banks need to be reviewed.
The heads of the banks assured that they would immediately finalise specific measures for increasing availability of agricultural credit and rationalise mark-up rates, which would enhance agricultural growth in the country.
The meeting also discussed issues pertaining to agriculture sector, particularly losses incurred by the agriculturists in respect of cotton and rice crops.
The Secretary Finance, Deputy Governor of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), chief executive officers of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and Zarai Taraqqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance attended the meeting.