Business

SBP offers interest-free loans to women for starting business

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Central bank’s decision to back those starting their own businesses.
SBP official says women can support families via this opportunity.
Bank will provide interest-free loans up to Rs0.5 million.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: In its bid to ensure economic stability and female participation in the workforce, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is offering interest-free loans to unemployed women to start their large-scale businesses.

The central bank’s Dera Ismail Khan Deputy Chief Manager Fazal Muqeem made the announcement while addressing participants of a seminar ‘Women bankability and banking on equality’ at the Government Polytechnic Institute for Women in Dera Ismail Khan on Sunday.

Women, Muqeem said, will be able to support their families by starting their own businesses. He said the current wave of inflation has impacted the entire society and social strata. The SBP official added that it gets difficult for the poor to manage their everyday expenses due to their income resources.

The employment opportunities are also limited in the country, therefore starting of own business is the only way to handle such a situation, he added. He informed that the prime minister introduced different policies with the support of the central bank to make unemployed women productive citizens.

Under these policies, the bank accounts of unemployed women were being opened along with men on an equal basis so that they could be provided with interest-free loans up to Rs0.5 million.

Addressing the seminar, Assistant Director Muhammad Zubair said that today’s era is of digital mobile app and citizens must take benefit from this facility. He said the citizens should become income tax filers which would make them avoid many taxes.

On this occasion, GPI for Women Principal Sara Khan thanked the guests from the SBP. She said their institution was working to make its students skillful so that they could become self-sufficient and useful citizens of society.

She said many women would benefit from this SBP’s policy in the future. She expressed the hope that such type of useful seminars would be organised in the future so that poor and eligible women of DIK could benefit.

On this occasion, GPI for women Principal Sarah Khan, SBP Dera Ismail Khan Assistant Chief Manager Muhammad Amir Ejaz, Assistant Director Muhammad Zubair, Rizwanullah Shah, GPI (women) Placement Officer Zafar Awan, a good number of teachers and female students were present on the occasion.

Business

February 7, 2025: The value of the Pakistani Rupee (PKR) in relation to the US dollar is unchanged.

Published

5 hours ago

Farwa

KARACHI: The open market exchange rate between the US dollar and the Pakistani rupee (PKR) was Rs279.4 on February 07, 2025, with a selling rate of Rs281.1. The interbank exchange rate between the US dollar and the Pakistani rupee is Rs 278.45, according to Interbank.

There was no movement in the US dollar (USD) from the previous closure of Rs278.

Business

The NORINCO Group is invited by CM Sindh to explore opportunities.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

Chinese companies have been invited by Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to visit Karachi and other regions of Sindh Province in order to observe the quickly growing businesses and investigate prospects in fields like clean energy, infrastructure development, and public transit projects.

Speaking in Beijing to a delegation headed by the chairman of NORINCO International Co., Ltd., he stated that all facilities required would be provided by the governments of Sindh Province and Pakistan.

With assistance from NORINCO International, the Sindh Chief Minister stated that the Provincial Government will firmly urge North Vehicle and BeiBen to think about setting up a Vehicle Assembly Plant in the Dhabeji Special Economic Zone.

Business

A deal with Pakistan to fight financial crimes has been approved by the Saudi cabinet.

Published

1 day ago

Farwa

In order to strengthen collaboration in the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing, and associated crimes, the Saudi Press Agency announced this week that the Saudi cabinet, led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Pakistan’s Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU).

Due to its severe money laundering and terrorism funding issues in recent years, Pakistan was added to the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list in June 2018.

The nation was taken off the gray list in October 2022 after enacting extensive measures to fortify its financial system.

The FMU is Pakistan’s financial intelligence unit, created under the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2010 and tasked with collaborating with foreign partners and evaluating reports of suspicious transactions.

According to the SPA, “the cabinet approved a memorandum of understanding regarding cooperation in exchanging investigations related to money laundering, terrorist financing, and related crimes between the Financial Monitoring Unit in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the General Department of Financial Investigation at the Presidency of State Security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

The MoU is an indication of Saudi Arabia and Pakistan’s growing strategic partnership. A significant Pakistani diaspora resides in the Kingdom, and numerous Pakistani businesses have established a presence there.

Saudi Arabia has been a key supporter of Pakistan’s economy, bolstering its reserves with substantial deposits in the State Bank of Pakistan and offering deferred oil payment facilities.