The outstanding financing (domestic) of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) decreased by 0.37 percent to stand at Rs 260.78 billion as of June 30, 2015. According to the State Bank of Pakistan's SME Finance Review, however, as compared to last year, 3.19 percent increase in SME financing has been observed. SMEs significantly contribute to GDP growth, exports and employment generation. In view of this, SBP has been taking several initiatives for promotion and development of SME banking.
Some of these include issuance of separate PRs for Small Enterprises (SEs) and Medium Enterprises (MEs), efforts for putting in place a secured transaction registry in the country, implementation of supportive financing schemes for SMEs like credit guarantee scheme and other refinance schemes for SMEs, PM Youth Business Loan Scheme and capacity development measures for banks/DFIs.
According to the SBP, the number of SME borrowers increased by 8 percent to 152,495 (from 145,031) during the quarter under review; similarly, on YoY basis, there was an increase of almost 15 percent in the number of SME borrowers. In addition, non performing loans (NPLs) declined by almost four percent on YoY basis, mainly due to the loans' write off and recoveries.
NPLs to loans ratio of SME Financing remained unchanged as on June 30, 2015 as compared to previous quarter. Facility-wise breakup shows that the working capital financing constituted 71 percent of outstanding SME financing followed by fixed investment and trade finance with shares of 11 percent and 18 percent respectively. Banking group-wise distribution of SME financing shows share of private sector banks at 69 percent. While public sector banks are at 25 percent of total SME outstanding financing.
SME financing by Islamic banks and Islamic banking divisions (collectively called IBIs) decreased by 7 percent in quarter under review whereas share of Islamic Banking Institutions (IBIs) remained stagnant when compared to same quarter of previous year. The share of SME financing of Islamic Banking Divisions was more than the share of Islamic banks in Pakistan.
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