Credit, Collateral and Compliance: An Honest Conversation About the Rules That Shape SME Finance

Across emerging markets, regulatory frameworks governing credit, collateral, and compliance remain among the most cited barriers to SME lending - which is also evident from the survey SME finance forum carried out in January 2026. Yet many of these constraints are not the result of deliberate policy choices; rather, they are legacy frameworks and inconsistent policies that have also not kept pace with the evolving needs of SMEs and modern financial ecosystems.

This session brings regulators and SME leaders into direct dialogue to unpack where current rules are unintentionally constraining access to finance, which reforms are both technically viable and politically realistic, and how responsibility for closing the implementation gap can be more clearly defined. By bridging policy intent with on-the-ground realities, the discussion aims to surface practical pathways to unlock greater, more inclusive SME financing at scale..