ABHI Microfinance Bank has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI) to improve SME financing. The partnership aims to help small and medium enterprises expand operations, raise productivity and pursue sustainable business growth.
RCCI President Usman Shaukat and ABHI Microfinance Bank Chief Compliance Officer Mubashar Shahani signed the agreement. Kabeer Naqvi, Entrepreneur in Residence at ABHI Group, witnessed the signing.
Senior bank executives and RCCI’s leadership also attended the ceremony, according to the partnership announcement.
The two organisations said they would work together to improve businesses’ access to financial facilities. Their stated goals include helping enterprises obtain resources for expansion and opening new growth opportunities.
The agreement brings together a microfinance lender and a chamber representing the business community. Both organisations described financial inclusion and support for entrepreneurs as central objectives of the collaboration.
Focus on business expansion
Under the partnership, ABHI Microfinance Bank and RCCI intend to support a more financially inclusive business environment. They also aim to help SMEs respond to changing economic conditions through better access to financial solutions.
For the bank, the agreement forms part of its wider effort to support enterprise growth and contribute to Pakistan’s economic development.
However, the announcement did not disclose a financing allocation, lending targets or a timetable for implementation. It also provided no details on borrowing costs, collateral requirements or eligibility criteria.
Those details will determine the practical scope of the facilities available to businesses. The announcement sets out the partnership’s objectives but does not identify a dedicated loan product.
Bank builds on FINCA acquisition
The collaboration follows ABHI’s expansion from financial technology services into microfinance banking.
ABHI and TPL completed their acquisition of FINCA Microfinance Bank in January 2025, according to the group’s official announcement. The institution subsequently adopted the ABHI Microfinance Bank name.
At the acquisition’s completion, ABHI said shareholders had jointly injected Rs2.6 billion into FINCA. It outlined plans to combine its digital services with the acquired bank’s microfinance network.
ABHI began operations in 2021, initially offering earned wage access, which lets employees access salaries they have already earned. The company later expanded into payroll services and SME financing.
The bank currently lists deposit products, digital financial services and loans for people running micro, small and medium enterprises.
SME credit remains a small market share
State Bank of Pakistan figures illustrate the wider financing context. At September 2025, outstanding SME financing stood at Rs686.17 billion across 295,291 borrowers.
That represented 6.55 percent of domestic private-sector financing. Working-capital facilities accounted for Rs317.55 billion, while fixed-investment financing totalled Rs340.28 billion. Trade finance made up the remaining Rs28.34 billion.
The ABHI-RCCI agreement seeks to widen financial access within this business segment. Its announcement did not specify how many enterprises the partners expect to reach.
