LAHORE - The International Council of Small and Medium Enterprises (ICSMEs) has asked the policy-makers to accelerate financial support to the SME sector through leasing, as economic growth in Pakistan is linked to SME growth. The ICSMEs said that leasing changed the life style of people in Pakistan and recalled the days when leasing companies were offering household goods on easy installments. It said that leasing could change the SME units as they would go in for balancing, modernization and replacement of their units. The ICSMEs urged the policy makers to promote asset based financing through leasing of commercial property to help entrepreneurs purchase shops, workshops, income generating vehicles, plant, machinery and equipment and power generators. The ICSMEs has invited the attention of the policy makers to the role which the State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan (SLICP) can play by financing the leasing companies as they have funds and are in a position to finance the leasing companies. The ICSMEs has stressed the need for leasing facilities for SMEs considering the slow growth of SMEs, the unemployment and the influx of fresh graduates looking for jobs. There are prospects and opportunities for fresh graduates to start their own businesses but they need financial support to begin and leasing is the safest mode whereby the ownership of the property would only be transferred on full and final payment by the borrower until then the SME would remain as the tenant.