Govt Has So Far Raised Rs. 2.25 Trillion Via Ijarah Sukuks Since December 2023

The Securities & Exchange Commission of Pakistan has helped the DMO in conducting 18 auctions and raising a gross amount of PKR 2.25 trillion by issuing Ijarah Sukuks Since December 2023. Trading volumes in the secondary market have also been increasing gradually as market participants become familiar with this system. The initiative is the result of the active collaboration of the stakeholders including MOF, DMO, SECP, SBP, CMIs, banks, mutual funds, and brokers. Traditionally, Government Debt Securities (GDS) were issued and traded in over-the-counter markets. In December 2023, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) decided, with the approval of the Federal Government, to utilize the services of capital market institutions (CMIs) for issuance, registration, trading, settlement, and transfer of shariah-compliant GDS. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) supported the MOF in this decision and worked closely with the DMO and the CMIs in its implementation. Issuance, registration, trading, settlement, and transfer of GDS through CMIs required amendments by the Federal Cabinet in Rules pertaining to GDS, amendments in Regulations by the CMIs, and development and deployment of relevant processes, procedures, and software. Extensive support was also provided by market participants including banks, mutual fund,s and the brokerage industry. Various steps have been taken by CMIs with the approval of SECP over the last few months to support the GDS market, including rationalization of brokerage commission, revaluation mechanism based on brokers quotation model, same-day settlement, and direct access to the secondary market trading for banks and mutual funds, among others. These initiatives aim to enhance transparency, competition, efficiency, and tax collection in the domestic debt market by ensuring the confidentiality of bids, providing the electronic trading platform, widening the distribution network including banks and brokers, standardizing the trading and payment systems, promoting the use of technology, creating the necessary checks and balances among the trading/payment/transfer systems, availability of all relevant information on a single platform, etc. SECP remains committed to working closely with the MOF for the development of the domestic debt market. Greater transparency, wider outreach, more competition, standardized processes, and necessary checks and balances lead to higher investor confidence and market efficiency. This initiative is leading in the right direction, broadening the opportunities for investors as well as the government and contributing to the country’s economic growth.