ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue Shaukat Tarin has said that Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) should extend credit for building agri malls, commodity warehouses and cold storage facilities on a public private partnership basis to eliminate the role of middleman.
He said this while meeting with Board of Directors of ZTBL led by the President Muhammad Shahbaz Jameel at the Finance Division.
The ZTBL president briefed about the overall steps taken to restructure the organization. The key focus is to improve operations by streamlining the existing procedures of the Bank.
He also underlined the Model Farm concept to educate and facilitate farmers for improving value-added products such as cheese-making, pasteurized milk, fish farming, hydroponics etc for enhancing farm income. It also included water conservation initiatives such as solar tube wells, drip irrigation for improved harvesting and farming practices.
In his remarks, the finance minister commended the idea for financial inclusion of the rural population and emphasised upon maximum participation of women in the farm to retail value chain.
Tarin underscored the advisory role of ZTBL in facilitating farmers for improved profitability. “There is a need to transform the whole agriculture sector to ensure the farmer gets higher income for his produce. “ZTBL can play a pivotal role in this regard,” he added.
In his concluding remarks, the finance minister acknowledged the financial turnaround of the ZTBL and urged to streamline the existing human resource, introduce innovative banking solutions, improve recoveries and use modern techniques to maximize its potential.
