Daily Times

Around 5.2 million Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) were active in the national economic sphere contributing 20 per cent to country’s GDP and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) is planned to enhance loan disbursement to this sector on softer terms by more than double the existing level to accelerate the national economic growth. This was stated by SBP Multan officials at a seminar organized by SBP at Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) to upgrade level of awareness of SMEs and women entrepreneurs on banks’ refinance facility, credit guarantee scheme for women entrepreneurs and Prime Minister’s Youth Agriculture financing scheme for renewable energy to enable SMEs and women entrepreneurs to bring their business and industrial activity more productive and profitable on modern lines.

MCCI president Mian Rashid Iqbal thanked SBP Multan on their awareness initiative, aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs and encouraging budding investors to take advantage of the government schemes to propel the national economy to new highs.

Assistant Director SBP Multan Kiran Amjad gave a detailed briefing to the participants through multimedia and said that loan disbursement to SMEs was only 6-7 per cent of the total volume but given their importance, SBP has started taking steps to increase soft term loan disbursement to SMEs to 17 per cent. “Easy loan schemes have been launched and SBP would achieve this target in cooperation with commercial and Islamic banks.” She said that small scale businesspersons can get up to Rs 150 million while medium scale investors can avail up to Rs 800 million loan and that too only on 5-7 per cent mark up rate. She disclosed that SBP has given Rs 100 million per month loan disbursement target to commercial and Islamic banks. She added that SMEs can approach SBP in case of any complaint regarding loans and promised that their problem would be resolved.

Kiran Amjad further stated that 25 per cent of this load disbursement was meant for women entrepreneurs only and they can avail this facility on personal guarantee. MCCI president Mian Rashid Iqbal said that the loan schemes were attractive enough to encourage new entrants to join business circles and hoped that such capacity building and awareness sessions would continue to be held in future. MCCI senior vice president Syed Iftikhar Ali Shah hailed the loan schemes but added that the facility should be made accessible to all small and medium scale businesspersons so that they can upgrade their businesses and contribute to the national development process.