Some aspects of small business financing through profit and loss sharing model in Islamic economic doctrine

Abstract

There have been at least two distinctive approaches to try to overcome the SME finance gap. The first has been to broaden the collateral based approach by encouraging bank lenders to finance SMEs with insufficient collateral. This might be done through an external party providing the collateral or guarantees required. The second approach has been to broaden the viability based approach. Since the viability based approach is concerned with the business itself, the aim has been to provide better general business development assistance to reduce risk and increase returns. These two approaches in overcoming the SME finance gap are implemented and consistent with Profit and Loss Sharing Model, also called PLS or “participatory” banking. Profit and Loss Sharing is a method of finance used by Islamic financial or Shariah-complaint institutions to comply with the religious prohibition on interest on loans that many Muslims subscribe to.