August 12, 2021 – Islamabad: For addressing the challenge of financing street vendors, PIDE and Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN) organized a webinar for concerned stakeholders. Dr. Sania Nishtar chaired the webinar. The webinar aimed to create awareness among the microfinance community about the commercial prospects of financing street vendors and government facilitation in viable product development under Ehsaas Rehribaan. Other speakers who joined the webinar were— Amer Ali Ahmed, Chairman CDA; Dr. Nadeem-ul-Haque, VC PIDE; Syeda Shafaq Hashmi, Administrator MCI; and Presidents of Microfinance Banks and Institutions. Zia Banday, Focal person, Ehsaas Rehribaan Initiative briefed the participants on the potential of street economy. U Microfinance Bank and Apna Microfinance Bank, pioneers in cart financing, presented their successfully launched products. “Ehsaas Rehribaan is a pioneering experience in Pakistan, whereby a multi-partite engagement of federal and local governments along with think tank and microfinance institutions are collectively structuring a sustainable intervention for enhancing street livelihoods”, said Dr. Sania.
