Women Entrepreneurs Must Avail SBP Schemes:VP FWCCI

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published January 29, 2020 | 05:19 PM

Women entrepreneurs must benefit from schemes launched by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to enhance their role in the economic mainstream of the country, said Shama Ahmad, Vice President Faisalabad Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FWCCI)

FAISALABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Jan, 2020 ):Women entrepreneurs must benefit from schemes launched by State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to enhance their role in the economic mainstream of the country, said Shama Ahmad, Vice President Faisalabad Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FWCCI).

While addressing a seminar 'Refinance and Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) for Small & Medium Enterprises (SME) sector', she said that women have fifty one percent (51 %) share in total population of Pakistan but their role in national economy was not in proportional of their population.

She said that FWCCI had been established for the mainstreaming of women in order to maximize their participation in economic activities and in this connection awareness sessions, exhibitions were arranged.

Shama highlighted that only 100 women had applied for the loan facilities so far to expand their businesses."Many of them are new start-ups", she added.

Earlier,Sarfraz Ahmad Nadeem chief manager SBP Faisalabad said that State Bank launched 12 to 13 SME schemes,adding that many of these were exclusively for women including Refinance & Credit Guarantee Scheme.

He said under Refinance and Credit Guarantee Scheme,women could get loan upto Rs 1.5 million on personal surety from four banks-- Al-Falah, HBL, UBL and ABL at only 5% markup,adding that it will be re-payable within 5 years with a grace period of 6 months.

"The installment of loan could be payable on monthly or quarterly basis", he said and added that no processing fees would be charged from any applicant.