LAHORE: The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA), in collaboration with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), organised a seminar on cluster-based lending studies to explore practical ways of expanding financing opportunities for Pakistan’s Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The seminar brought together representatives of financial institutions, industry stakeholders, partner organisations and other key stakeholders to discuss ways to improve SMEs’ access to formal finance and strengthen their linkages with the banking sector. Addressing the gathering, SMEDA Chief Executive Officer Nadia Jahangir Seth stressed the need to translate research and sector-specific insights into commercially viable lending opportunities for financial institutions. She said a better understanding of individual SME clusters could enable banks to develop more informed and appropriate financing solutions tailored to the needs of businesses. The seminar also featured a keynote address by Dr Muhammad Saleem, Head of Department, SH&SFD, State Bank of Pakistan, followed by a detailed presentation on cluster-based lending studies. Speaking about the government’s broader SME development agenda
