Publication: Islamic Banking Opportunities Across Small and Medium Enterprises: Pakistan
Loading...
Date
2017-01
ISSN
Published
2017-01
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
In recent years, banks in Pakistan and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have become increasingly interested in targeting the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector and have realized that many small businesses demand Shariah-compliant banking. To provide clarity on the subject, International Finance Corporation (IFC) commissioned a study to better understand the demand and supply for Islamic banking products (both asset and liability products as well as other banking services) in the SME sector in Pakistan. This report on Pakistan reveals a new to bank Islamic funding and depository opportunity, primarily due to un-served and underserved SMEs (approximately 20 percent to 25 percent), who do not borrow from conventional banks due to religious reasons. In order to reach out to SMEs demanding Islamic products, and as part of IFC’s initiative to enhance its SME investment and advisory services offerings to Islamic financial institutions, one needed to better understand the market from both the demand and supply sides in order to identify any gaps or niches where IFC can assist and add value. IFC commissioned a study in nine countries of the MENA region, which includes Pakistan, to better understand the demand and supply for Islamic banking products (both asset and liability products and other banking services) in the SME sector. The countries chosen for this study are: (1) Iraq, (2) Pakistan, (3) Yemen, (4) Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, (5) Egypt, (6) Lebanon, (7) Morocco, (8) Tunisia, and (9) Jordan. This regional executive summary provides a comparative analysis of the SME potential across these countries and the opportunities available to Islamic institutions to tap this potential. The nine individual country reports provide a deeper insight into the SME landscape and potential opportunities for Islamic banks in each country. The reports also highlight the measures that banks may need to take to successfully target the Islamic banking potential of SMEs. For more publications on IFC Sustainability please visit www.ifc.org/sustainabilitypublications.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“International Finance Corporation. 2017. Islamic Banking Opportunities Across Small and Medium Enterprises: Pakistan. © International Finance Corporation. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/26098 License: CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO.”
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Why Banks in Emerging Markets Are Increasingly Providing Non-financial Services to Small and Medium Enterprises(Washington, DC, 2012)Banks in emerging markets are increasingly providing non-financial services to their SME clients, typically consisting of information sharing, training and consultancy. This study, published by IFC in partnership with the Austrian Government, is the first to explore reasons behind this trend, finding that banks' key motivations include attracting and retaining customers, and strengthening portfolio quality. The report consists of an overview followed by case studies of three banks, namely Türk Ekonomi Bankasý (TEB), Standard Chartered Bank (SCB), and ICICI Bank. It is estimated that there are 365 to 445 million formal and informal micro, small, and medium enterprises, with a subset of 25 to 35 million formal SMEs, in the developing world. Of these, 70 percent do not use external financing from financial institutions, although they are in need of it. Approximately 85 percent suffer from credit constraints.Publication Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Finance(International Finance Corporation, Washington, DC, 2017)Lending to women-owned micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) as a distinct segment is still unexplored when compared to lending to MSMEs in India. Due to a lack of segmental focus and, perhaps, due to a higher perception of risk, formal financial institutions have made little effort to better understand this segment. There is a lack of awareness among bankers of the potential business opportunity presented by this segment. One reason for this is the lack of data that will help present a business case to target this emerging sector. In cases where formal institutions have created women-MSME targeted credit schemes, lack of awareness and limited outreach (especially in rural areas) has meant that the impact is limited. IFC’s work in this area aims to (a) build awareness about opportunities in access to finance for women-owned businesses; (b) demonstrate commercial viability of offering financial services to this sub-segment; and (c) strengthen capacity of the financial sector to offer targeted financial services to women entrepreneurs. As part of its intervention in this sector, IFC organized a roundtable with representatives from banks, non-banking financial institutions, and industry associations to understand perspectives and discuss financial access for women-owned businesses. The discussion began to build awareness of the opportunities in the women entrepreneurs’ segment for financial institutions, and best practices involved. This report aims to assess the gap in demand and supply of finance, highlight the opportunity in serving women entrepreneurs, and catalogue initiatives taken by financial institutions in access to finance for women-owned businesses in India. The report presents the findings of a scoping study based on secondary research and primary interviews, together with key themes of the roundtable discussion, and recommends potential interventions by financial institutions to address the lack of access to formal finance for women-owned businesses in India.Publication Islamic Banking and Finance(Bishkek, Kyrgyz, 2016-02)Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), are the drivers of Kyrgyz economic growth and key contributors to sustainable gross domestic product (GDP). Since the country achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, MSMEs became one of the prime supports of the economy as the number of industrial enterprises declined. Most MSMEs are engaged in the trade and trade-related sectors. These generate significant employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled labor alike. Despite their importance to economic development, however, the growth of the country's MSMEs has been hindered by their limited access to banking services, along with high tax rates, and inconsistent policies. Thus, government support programs and assistance from multilateral agencies and policy makers are essential to MSME growth. The Bank Advisory Services of IFC’s Financial Institutions Group provides advisory services to banks in aid of strengthening their capacity and increasing their outreach to the MSME sector. This is achieved through capacity building, training, knowledge sharing, and dissemination of best practices in MSME banking and risk management. IFC’s primary goal is to increase the number of banks that offer banking services to MSMEs in a profitable and sustainable manner. The organization is globally recognized as a market leader in MSME banking, through its various regional engagements. IFC is also recognized for its global expertise and knowledge in this area. In response to growing market demand, IFC has recently enhanced its advisory services to include Islamic financing. In this respect, the National Bank of Kyrgyz Republic has also expressed an interest in exploring this segment of the market. Indeed, the NBKR is already looking at the possibility of putting regulations for Islamic banking in place. The study reveals a funding potential of $342.2 to 456.3 million for Islamic financing to MSMEs, with a corresponding depository potential of $402.6-536.9 million over the next few years. This funding potential exists due to the ‘new-to-bank’ funding opportunity within the un-served and underserved MSME segments. These are either partially served by financial institutions or do not borrow at all for various reasons. Findings include ‘new-to-bank’ funding potential of $309.6-412.9 million, which is untapped as banks and other financial institutions lack adequate the strategic focus needed on this segment to offer Shariah-compliant products.Publication Developing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Jordan : The Route to Shared Prosperity(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-03)The Arab uprisings and the global financial and economic slowdown have negatively impacted the Jordanian economy and highlighted demands for a more level economic playing field and equity in access to economic and social opportunities. Already challenged in providing jobs to the more than 60,000 youth who enter the labor market annually, Jordan has seen unemployment rising. Youth and women were most affected, with unemployment, reaching 22.8 percent and 22.3 percent, respectively. Moreover, regional disparities continue to pose additional challenges. Limited private sector jobs are available in the outlying governorates, where employment relies largely on the civil service and other public sector jobs. At the same time, the private sector is hampered by difficulties in the business environment and inadequate access to finance. Job creation and economic inclusion are key priorities for Jordan today these goals will be advanced by improving access to finance, enhancing competitiveness, and fostering sustainable, private sector-led growth.Publication Experiences of Microfinance Institutions Serving Very Small to Small Enterprises in Latin America(Washington, DC, 2014-07)Very small enterprises (VSEs) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) represent a broad and heterogeneous segment, often underserved by formal financial institutions. They are generally informal and often family businesses. The financial needs of these enterprises are typically overlooked by “downscaling” banks, which find larger and often more formal small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to be a more natural market for their products and services. Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) are starting to move upmarket to serve SMEs, and in particular, VSEs within this segment. However, they use varying definitions, methodologies and products to do so and to date there has been little research or documentation of their experiences. This report highlights the results of a recent study of the existing practices in Latin America of MFIs serving VSEs, where VSEs are considered to be those businesses with financing needs of between US$7,000 and US$30,000. It is a starting point for an institution considering entering the segment, or for one that finds itself having grown into the segment “organically” but with a view to strengthen its position. It includes several checklists for MFIs interested in expanding upmarket into the VSE space, as well as more detailed discussions and examples of the most relevant points.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Argentina Country Climate and Development Report(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-11)The Argentina Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) explores opportunities and identifies trade-offs for aligning Argentina’s growth and poverty reduction policies with its commitments on, and its ability to withstand, climate change. It assesses how the country can: reduce its vulnerability to climate shocks through targeted public and private investments and adequation of social protection. The report also shows how Argentina can seize the benefits of a global decarbonization path to sustain a more robust economic growth through further development of Argentina’s potential for renewable energy, energy efficiency actions, the lithium value chain, as well as climate-smart agriculture (and land use) options. Given Argentina’s context, this CCDR focuses on win-win policies and investments, which have large co-benefits or can contribute to raising the country’s growth while helping to adapt the economy, also considering how human capital actions can accompany a just transition.Publication Classroom Assessment to Support Foundational Literacy(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-03-21)This document focuses primarily on how classroom assessment activities can measure students’ literacy skills as they progress along a learning trajectory towards reading fluently and with comprehension by the end of primary school grades. The document addresses considerations regarding the design and implementation of early grade reading classroom assessment, provides examples of assessment activities from a variety of countries and contexts, and discusses the importance of incorporating classroom assessment practices into teacher training and professional development opportunities for teachers. The structure of the document is as follows. The first section presents definitions and addresses basic questions on classroom assessment. Section 2 covers the intersection between assessment and early grade reading by discussing how learning assessment can measure early grade reading skills following the reading learning trajectory. Section 3 compares some of the most common early grade literacy assessment tools with respect to the early grade reading skills and developmental phases. Section 4 of the document addresses teacher training considerations in developing, scoring, and using early grade reading assessment. Additional issues in assessing reading skills in the classroom and using assessment results to improve teaching and learning are reviewed in section 5. Throughout the document, country cases are presented to demonstrate how assessment activities can be implemented in the classroom in different contexts.Publication Business Ready 2024(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2024-10-03)Business Ready (B-READY) is a new World Bank Group corporate flagship report that evaluates the business and investment climate worldwide. It replaces and improves upon the Doing Business project. B-READY provides a comprehensive data set and description of the factors that strengthen the private sector, not only by advancing the interests of individual firms but also by elevating the interests of workers, consumers, potential new enterprises, and the natural environment. This 2024 report introduces a new analytical framework that benchmarks economies based on three pillars: Regulatory Framework, Public Services, and Operational Efficiency. The analysis centers on 10 topics essential for private sector development that correspond to various stages of the life cycle of a firm. The report also offers insights into three cross-cutting themes that are relevant for modern economies: digital adoption, environmental sustainability, and gender. B-READY draws on a robust data collection process that includes specially tailored expert questionnaires and firm-level surveys. The 2024 report, which covers 50 economies, serves as the first in a series that will expand in geographical coverage and refine its methodology over time, supporting reform advocacy, policy guidance, and further analysis and research.Publication World Development Report 2006(Washington, DC, 2005)This year’s Word Development Report (WDR), the twenty-eighth, looks at the role of equity in the development process. It defines equity in terms of two basic principles. The first is equal opportunities: that a person’s chances in life should be determined by his or her talents and efforts, rather than by pre-determined circumstances such as race, gender, social or family background. The second principle is the avoidance of extreme deprivation in outcomes, particularly in health, education and consumption levels. This principle thus includes the objective of poverty reduction. The report’s main message is that, in the long run, the pursuit of equity and the pursuit of economic prosperity are complementary. In addition to detailed chapters exploring these and related issues, the Report contains selected data from the World Development Indicators 2005‹an appendix of economic and social data for over 200 countries. This Report offers practical insights for policymakers, executives, scholars, and all those with an interest in economic development.Publication Lebanon Economic Monitor, Fall 2022(Washington, DC, 2022-11)The economy continues to contract, albeit at a somewhat slower pace. Public finances improved in 2021, but only because spending collapsed faster than revenue generation. Testament to the continued atrophy of Lebanon’s economy, the Lebanese Pound continues to depreciate sharply. The sharp deterioration in the currency continues to drive surging inflation, in triple digits since July 2020, impacting the poor and vulnerable the most. An unprecedented institutional vacuum will likely further delay any agreement on crisis resolution and much needed reforms; this includes prior actions as part of the April 2022 International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff-level agreement (SLA). Divergent views among key stakeholders on how to distribute the financial losses remains the main bottleneck for reaching an agreement on a comprehensive reform agenda. Lebanon needs to urgently adopt a domestic, equitable, and comprehensive solution that is predicated on: (i) addressing upfront the balance sheet impairments, (ii) restoring liquidity, and (iii) adhering to sound global practices of bail-in solutions based on a hierarchy of creditors (starting with banks’ shareholders) that protects small depositors.