SAFCO Group rings in 2026 with global recognition, vision

HYDERABAD: SAFCO Group, a leading social development and financial services organization, welcomed the New Year by reflecting on 2025 as a landmark year of national and global recognition under the leadership of Dr Suleman G Abro. The group’s initiatives in climate resilience, digital transformation, Islamic and WASH financing, and innovative product diversification were lauded as benchmarks of impact-driven development.

Addressing staff, Dr Abro highlighted the critical role of women in economic growth across South Asia. While female labor participation in countries like Bangladesh, India, and Nepal ranges between 30 percent and 45 percent, Pakistan continues to lag.

He noted Bangladesh’s success in increasing women’s workforce participation from 21 percent to over 40 percent, largely in the textiles and garments sector, employing over three million women, and emphasized the need for Pakistan to create an enabling environment for women entrepreneurs through social protection, financial access, and supportive policies.

Dr. Abro also underscored the importance of building institutions with generational impact, urging SAFCO teams to implement structured, long-term strategies across all sectors.

Syed Sajjad Ali Shah, Managing Director of SAFCO Microfinance Company (SMCL), highlighted SAFCO Group’s achievements in 2025, including recognition as a key advisor on national financial and environmental policy forums, while expanding its global footprint. He affirmed that 2026 would focus on inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient initiatives to drive innovation, financial inclusion, and social impact in Pakistan and beyond.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026