SECP Licenses NBFCs for Digital Lending

Islamabad, August 28, 2025, 08:13 PM PKT — The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) has unveiled a significant regulatory milestone, granting an Investment Finance Services license to Foremost Financial Services Private Limited to operate as a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), while also issuing prior permission for Instant Finance Private Limited to register as an NBFC, as per official reports. This move underscores SECP’s drive for regulatory efficiency and support for market entrants, with Foremost set to launch digital nano-lending services and Instant Finance targeting SME digital lending, leveraging their international operations in Indonesia, Mexico, and Nigeria, boosting foreign direct investment (FDI) in Pakistan’s financial sector.

These approvals align with SECP’s mission to encourage foreign investment, diversify the NBFC sector, and integrate innovative, well-structured firms, advancing financial inclusion, digital transformation, and a supportive regulatory framework for sustainable growth. Web context on financial reforms shows past stagnation, while posts found on X reflect optimism mixed with caution—some welcome FDI, others question execution. Critically, the narrative of “market growth” may mask implementation risks—web data hints at past delays, and X sentiment suggests distrust in seamless adoption, pointing to potential challenges.