The Department is responsible for achieving its objectives through enabling regulatory environment, developing market infrastructure, promoting financial inclusion through branchless banking innovations and financial literacy. Two sectors which are handled at the Department are critically important as Agriculture sector is the mainstay of Pakistan’s economy, it is the most important source for employment & income generation for majority of rural population, which generates nearly one fifth of the total GDP, employs 43% of total labour force and is a major source of foreign exchange earnings whereas the Microfinance sector has widely been recognized as an instrument for inclusive economic growth and poverty alleviation.
In 2011, with a view to create synergies for developing agricultural credit and microfinance in the country, Agricultural Credit Department (established under SBP Act 1956) and Microfinance Department were merged together as a part of SBP overall restructuring.
The department is responsible for achieving its objectives through enabling regulatory environment, developing market infrastructure, promoting financial inclusion through branchless banking innovations and financial literacy.
Departmental Goals
The department strives is to increase financial inclusion through development of agricultural credit market, promotion of microfinance and branchless banking by:
- Assessing credit requirements of farm and non-farm sectors in collaboration with provincial planning & development Departments and collecting annual agri. credit disbursements plans from banks.
- Developing financial inclusion policy and strategy, addressing issues and market failures for broadening access in agricultural credit & microfinance
- Review of Prudential Regulations & guidelines for the agriculture and microfinance sectors on the drawing of internal/external feedback and as per international best practices.
- Developing Market Infrastructure and establishing funding mechanisms
- Research & Analysis to understand the causes of exclusion and publication of research
- Capacity enhancement of service providers
- Creating market awareness and financial literacy
- Promoting innovations in product & service delivery leveraging technology & networks
- Designing and implementing donors funded programs for market interventions to advance financial inclusion
- Coordinating with the Federal Government, Provincial Governments, Banks, Provincial Cooperative Banks, Microfinance Banks, Microfinance Institutions and International Donors for promotion of agri finance and financial inclusion