Banking publications: Booklets to help banks boost lending to SMEs
SBP-IFC booklets cover 10 sectors which will expand and create jobs.
KARACHI:
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, have launched a series of publications to help the Pakistani banking sector expand access to finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which will drive job creation and growth in the country.
SBP and IFC have produced a series of booklets about the ways banks can increase lending to SMEs. Covering 10 sectors including agriculture, education and logistics, these booklets are aimed at helping banks create better and low-cost product programmes that will enable small businesses obtain more financing and expand operations, said SBP in a press statement on Monday.
The booklets follow a study conducted by both institutions, which included participation of top 16 banks and over 300 interviews of small businesses in 10 sectors. Besides including an industry overview, there are chapters on market assessment, risk assessment, financial benchmarking, proposed banking products and guidance on how products could be channelled and distributed.
SBP Deputy Governor Yaseen Anwar, while stressing the importance and significance of the exercise, emphasised upon banks to make maximum use of the findings of the survey. He also stressed that while banks should define their competitive positioning and design profitable SME strategies, they should provide improved services to SMEs.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2011.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, have launched a series of publications to help the Pakistani banking sector expand access to finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which will drive job creation and growth in the country.
SBP and IFC have produced a series of booklets about the ways banks can increase lending to SMEs. Covering 10 sectors including agriculture, education and logistics, these booklets are aimed at helping banks create better and low-cost product programmes that will enable small businesses obtain more financing and expand operations, said SBP in a press statement on Monday.
The booklets follow a study conducted by both institutions, which included participation of top 16 banks and over 300 interviews of small businesses in 10 sectors. Besides including an industry overview, there are chapters on market assessment, risk assessment, financial benchmarking, proposed banking products and guidance on how products could be channelled and distributed.
SBP Deputy Governor Yaseen Anwar, while stressing the importance and significance of the exercise, emphasised upon banks to make maximum use of the findings of the survey. He also stressed that while banks should define their competitive positioning and design profitable SME strategies, they should provide improved services to SMEs.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 7th, 2011.