Businesses, large or small, are an important part of any society and fulfil various needs and functions. On one hand, they provide livelihood and employment to owners and workers, and on the other hand, they produce and distribute essential goods without which populations may not thrive.

Digital finance and financial inclusion offer several benefits not only to financial services users but also to digital finance providers, governments and the economy at large as well.

Pakistan’s rising housing shortage is alarming. The gap has been widening due to population growth and an emerging trend in rural to urban migration.

The growth dynamics of the sector are such that it has surpassed, the annual growth rate of GDP during 1991 and 2016. It contributed 13.3% to the GDP in 2016-2017, and this share is expected to rise by 2.5 percentage points, as CPEC projects are completed. The sector is currently responsible for the creation of approximately 3 million formal jobs, which would increase to about 3.6 million with CPEC.

Housing is a fundamental need whose provision can ensure a minimum standard of welfare for a family unit. Indeed, it has been recognized as such through the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” and its reaffirmation at the 1996 UN Habitat Conference through the “Adequate Shelter for All” slogan.

The WHR financing mechanism, supported by a developed ecosystem and strong linkages between farmers, financial institutions, warehousing and subsidiary service providers, may therefore prove vital for improving efficiency, transparency of the distribution of agricultural commodities, and benefit to all stakeholders.

Much has been said on how critical small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are for the social and economic uplift of developing economies.