PESHAWAR: The State Bank of Pakistan’s Banking Services Corporation and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Small Industries Development Board have discussed ways to improve access to formal financing for small and medium enterprises, particularly manufacturers operating in SIDB industrial estates.
The meeting was held at the office of SIDB Deputy Managing Director (Planning and Development) Noman Fayaz and formed part of SBP BSC’s ongoing assessment of SME value chains across Pakistan.
Officials from both sides reviewed business ecosystems, commercial linkages and financing gaps affecting smaller enterprises, with a focus on identifying practical opportunities to connect SMEs with formal financial institutions.
The SBP BSC delegation included Niamat Ullah, Joint Director, and Tauseef Hussain, Deputy Director, while SIDB was represented by M Atiq ur Rehman Shah, Deputy Director (P&D), and Asghar Hussain, Deputy Director (P&D).
According to SIDB, the discussions focused on proposals aimed at making financing more accessible to manufacturing SMEs and strengthening financial linkages for businesses operating across industrial estates in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Participants stressed that closer coordination between banks and small businesses could support enterprise growth, improve financial inclusion and help more firms move into the formal financial system.
The meeting also highlighted the role of value-chain financing in understanding how businesses interact with suppliers, buyers and financial institutions, and where funding constraints may be limiting expansion.
SIDB said it welcomed SBP BSC’s initiative and expressed interest in continued cooperation aimed at strengthening SME financing and supporting sustainable industrial development in the province.
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