Loans disbursed to SMEs in Pakistan during the last quarter of 2021 increased 19.73% to Rs 524.09 billion from Rs 437.71 billion at the end of September 2021, according to the data provided by the nation’s central bank, the State Bank of Pakistan. The surge in demand for SME loans has been due to various factors such as the economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, different credit guarantees, and long-term lending schemes announced by the State Bank of India. Meanwhile, some banks have also begun to disburse loans under the recently introduced collateral-free loan scheme known as SME Aasan Finance (SAAF).
