Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday launched the country’s mega interest-free loan programme worth Rs407 billion, saying the step would contribute towards making low-income groups financially self-reliant.
Under Kamyab Pakistan Programme – a component of the prime minister’s vision for poverty alleviation— the loans will be disbursed among youth, women, farmers and for the construction of low-income houses during the next two years.
The prime minister said 4.5 million families would benefit from the interest-free loans to start small businesses, construct homes, farming and learn technical education.
PM Khan said so far Rs2.5 billion have been disbursed among the low-income groups in various welfare schemes and mentioned that the banks had also given loans of Rs55 billion after the government encouraged them to facilitate common man.
“Pakistan had been envisioned as a socio-welfare country in line with the golden principles of Islam’s first State of Medina,” he said to a gathering at the Faisal Mosque.
He, however, regretted that deviation from this ideology led the country facing several challenges regarding the well-being of common man.
The prime minister said following the glowing teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) regarding caring for the rights of people was the righteous pathway for a nation to adopt.
He said the national health insurance programme launched by the government would help expansion of medical set up in public and private sector across the country.
Prime Minister Khan said that all the tax money collected by the government would be spent on the welfare of general public.
Prime Minister Imran Khan also expressed satisfaction over the record revenue collection made by the FBR saying it is because of enhanced revenue, the government was able to reduce the prices of petrol and diesel by Rs10 per liter and the electricity tariff by Rs5 per unit. Urging the people to pay their taxes, he assured that this revenue will be used to uplift the poor class and reduce the burden of inflation on the people.
Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen in his video message said the programme was in line with the vision of a socio-welfare State to facilitate the common man.
He said interest-free loans besides the technical training would enable the low-income group to earn their livelihood.
FBR revenue target
Earlier in a tweet, Prime Minister Imran Khan shared that the FBR had successfully knocked down February’s revenue target of Rs441 billion, posting a robust growth of 28.5 per cent.
He said the government is able to subsidize petrol, diesel and electricity and give relief to the people because of this performance of the FBR.
