Pakistan Single Window hosted a session for small and medium enterprises at NIC Karachi, focused on unlocking future business opportunities beyond Pakistan’s borders through digitised trade processes. The session brought together key voices from trade and finance, giving SME participants direct access to perspectives from both the banking sector and the government body responsible for digitising Pakistan’s cross border trade infrastructure.
Fahad Ali from State Bank of Pakistan and Syed Tasbih Ul Hassan Abidi from Faysal Bank Limited shared insights on the current performance of SME lending, addressing collateral requirements and access to finance as key challenges facing small and medium enterprises today. Their combined perspectives gave participants a clearer picture of the specific financing obstacles SMEs continue to face, particularly around the collateral demands that often make it difficult for smaller businesses to secure the credit needed for expansion or working capital.
Azka Rehman, representing Pakistan Single Window, highlighted how the organisation has simplified cross border trade, enabling businesses to file Goods Declarations and apply for licenses, permits, and certificates directly from their own premises rather than navigating multiple physical government offices. She walked participants through how Pakistan Single Window has digitised the country’s cross border trade ecosystem, eliminating paper based and manual processes that have historically slowed down import and export activity for smaller businesses.
The session’s combined focus on financing access and trade digitisation reflects two of the most persistent structural challenges facing Pakistan’s SME sector, where limited access to affordable credit and cumbersome trade procedures have both continued to constrain growth for smaller businesses looking to expand into export markets. By bringing financing and trade facilitation experts into the same session, organisers gave participants a more complete picture of the barriers and available tools relevant to scaling a business beyond the domestic market.
The event was supported by Tech Destination Pakistan, Ministry Of IT and Telecommunication, Ignite National Technology Fund, LMKT, LuckyOne Mall, and Orbit Ventures, reflecting the institutional network tied to NIC Karachi’s ongoing programming. The session adds to Pakistan Single Window’s continued efforts to promote awareness of its digitised trade platform among the SME community, positioning the organisation’s tools as a way to make cross border trade simpler, faster, and more accessible for smaller Pakistani businesses looking to compete internationally.
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