ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's securities regulator has proposed raising the maximum limit for microfinance and housing loans to 5 million rupees ($17,900) as part of amendments aimed at expanding access to finance.
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) said Tuesday the proposed amendments have been issued for consultation with stakeholders.
The regulator also proposed increasing the annual income threshold for borrowers eligible for microfinance loans to 1.5 million rupees ($5,400) from 1.2 million rupees ($4,300).
For small businesses, the SECP proposed raising the maximum annual turnover threshold to 400 million rupees ($1.4 million) from 150 million rupees ($537,000), while the limit for medium-sized businesses has been proposed at 2 billion rupees ($7.2 million), up from 800 million rupees ($2.9 million).
The SECP said the proposed small and medium enterprise thresholds are aligned with recent changes introduced by the State Bank of Pakistan.
