USAID to Expand Assistance to Micro-Entrepreneurs in Balochistan and Sindh

U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Ryan C. Crocker announces the expansion of USAID-supported microfinance programs in six new districts in Balochistan and Sindh.

he Ambassador made these remarks during a visit to Khushhalibank in Quetta today. Mr. Crocker congratulated Khushhalibank on their achievements over the past year. “Fourteen branches have been opened. More than 90 loan officers have been hired and deployed to the field. And, as of today, more than 85,000 loans have been disbursed to clients in Balochistan and Sindh,” he said. Khushhalibank, a national Microfinance bank, entered into a partnership with USAID last year to expand microfinance services in underserved areas of Balochistan and Sindh. The program aims to provide more than 270,000 loans over the first three years, thereby boosting economic prosperity in the region.

The USAID/Khushhalibank program is active in fourteen districts – Quetta, Loralai, Barkhan, Zhob, Ziarat, Sibbi, Pishin, Jacobabad, Larcana, Jaffarabad, Nasirabad, Dadu, Nowsherafroze, and Gawadar. Next year, the program will expand to include Khairpur, Hyderabad , Ghotki, Sukkur, Nawabshah, and Sanghar districts.

USAID also funds education and agriculture programs in Balochistan. Education programs are training more than 9,000 teachers in the province. A new agriculture program that began in October of this year is helping farmers increase production and incomes by introducing better seeds, improving on-farm water systems, and promoting the cultivation of high-value crops.

USAID has a $300 million assistance program in Pakistan aimed at improving primary and secondary education, improving health care services, creating economic opportunities for the poor, and strengthening governance. More information about USAID's program in Pakistan can be found at www.usaid.gov/pk .