SECP sets up dedicated desk to boost corporate debt market

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan has set up a Corporate Debt Market Desk, according to Mettis Global, with the goal of expanding borrowing through debt securities. The unit will advise issuers on several routes, including Sukuk and bonds, plus private placements and listings on the PSX.

Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb has pushed for a vibrant, efficient corporate debt market, seeking to widen long-term funding sources and lessen dependence on bank loans. A senior SECP official will serve as focal person, and a new section on the regulator's website will carry the legal framework, market data, guidance and contact details.

SECP Chairman Dr. Kabir Ahmed Sidhu said a deeper debt market would broaden long-term financing, attract institutional money and back infrastructure and industrial development. The desk is part of wider reforms intended to simplify issuance, cut costs and standardise documentation, drawing more issuers and investors.