KARACHI: The First MicroFinanceBank Ltd, Pakistan (FMFB-P) and the Aga Khan Planning and Building Service, Pakistan (AKPBS,P) signed an MoU to improve the living standards of the poor people in Pakistan by providing financial services along with technical advisory to support safe and self-built habitat improvement of the low income and poor communities in the country.
Under the arrangement, FMFB shall provide need-based, short to medium term financial services (housing finance) for both structural and non-structural improvements in the houses. FMFB would provide loans amounting from PKR 10,000- 500,000 to poor individuals in a group at a relatively lower interest rate to help the poor build social and physical capital over time.
For structural house improvements, the clients would save prior to the release of the loan to build up their equity contribution, as well as save after disbursement to mitigate any cash flow changes over time. To support the clients in repayment, a grace period would also be provided to them during the construction period. AKPBS,P shall provide technical consultancy to the client for developing a sketch of the proposed construction/improvement and monitoring construction of the houses to ensure safe built environment and mitigate natural risks.
In addition to the structural improvements, financial facilities shall also be provided for minor improvements. Primarily under this, FMFB and AKPBS,P shall support the purchase of Building And Construction Improvement Programme (BACIP) products, which reduce the domestic biomass needs by over 50 percent, while at the same time making the home smoke-free, dust-free and better insulated and lighted.
The Housing Finance product, which would reach out to 27,000 households in the next three years, is one of the social products being offered by the FMFB for empowering the poor communities in the country. In addition to this product, the FMFB is already offering Health Insurance product for the poor in Karachi
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