ISLAMABAD, Oct 7 Zarai Taraqiati Bank Ltd (ZTBL) announced on Wednesday launching of Benazir Credit Programme aimed at increasing women access to credit for undertaking income generating activities and self-employment opportunities in rural and urban areas.

The new initiative, launched in pursuance of the directives of President Asif Zardari for the women empowerment and alleviate rural poverty, would have great prospects for its success and would enhance the share of female population in the overall economic activity, ZTBL President Zaka Ashraf stated in a press statement.

As the women constitute more than 52 per cent of total population, the majority of it is engaged in agriculture-related activities. The programme would likely to benefit a large segment of women engaged in agricultural sector or aspire to engage in financial viable activity, ZTBL announcement said.

Under the programme, female mobile credit officers would be posted in selected branches and zones of ZTBL having vast potential for agro-based industries to be extended in a phased manner.

The ZTBL president has instructed to identify villages as “model villages” in all the four provinces including Azad Kashmir and a special study has been initiated by the newly-established unit to explore the potential for lending under the programme.

ZTBL study groups have identified three villages Qutbal, Ghazi Khole and Hattar with greater prospects for the launching of the new initiative which comprises productive activities of women like industrial home, embroidery work, tailoring and stitching, pottery work, computer literacy centres, knitting work and preparation of decoration pieces, loan for dairy, poultry, goat farming etc.