PROSPECTS OF EQUITY FINANCING BY SHARIAH-BASED BANKS IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

Shariah-based banking operates in accordance with the principles of Shariah (Islamic law). It prohibits both the payment and acceptance of interest charges (riba) for the financing and depositing of money. Instead, Shariah-based banking uses a variety of contracts to conduct financial transactions while complying with these principles. Some of the most applied contracts (products) in Shariah-based banking worldwide are Mudarabah, Musharaka, Murabaha, Ijarah, Salam, Istisna, Wakalah, etc. The preference for these contracts vary depending on regional practices, regulatory frameworks, social context, and the specific needs and preferences of the customers and banks. Overall, the chosen contract must align with the principles of equality, transparency, and moral conduct as prescribed by Shariah law. These contracts are based on different modes, such as sale, equity share, rent, buy back, guarantee, agency, etc. Shariah-based banks used different contracts to offer financing facility to customers. Among all these types, equity financing (Mudarabah, Musharaka) is highly preferable and widely supported in Islamic finance due to its strong alignment with Shariah principles, particularly in promoting risk-sharing, avoiding interest, and ensuring ethical investment of course. While it offers many benefits, including support for entrepreneurship and financial stability, it also requires careful consideration of risks, costs, and regulatory requirements. Overall, equity financing is a more appropriate mode to ensure risk sharing along with an ethical and sustainable financial system. The percentage of financing in Shariah-based banking done through equity financing modes like Mudarabah and Musharaka varies significantly across different regions and institutions. Generally, despite the strong preference for equity financing from a Shariah compliance perspective, it tends to be less dominant compared to debt-like instruments such as Murabaha and Ijarah due to several practical considerations such as no risk on bank capital, asymmetry information impact from client, less risk of non-performing finance, etc. From global perspective, the current percentage of financing done through equity financing modes like Mudarabah and Musharaka in Shariah-based banking is relatively low. According to iv report published in Islamic Economics & Finance, it is found that globally this percentage is only 2.80% as of Q4, 2023 out of total global Islamic finance portfolio. Bangladesh is also following the same trend; the share is even much lower than the global range. As of December 2023, there is only 0.57% of total financing portfolio under equity financing category, which is Shariah based. To be specific, Musharaka has the share of 0.32% and Mudarabah has only 0.25% of the total investment portfolio is Shariah-based banking industry in Bangladesh, So, in the global context and in Bangladesh, it is found that Shariah-based banks are reluctant to offer the customers the financing through equity-based financing, i.e. they do not encourage customers to avail Mudarabah or Musharaka financing. Thus, it is a big concern here that the market is increasing both in deposit as well as financing side, but the real financing products share is not increasing at all. Researcher has found that Shariah-based banks offer different modes of financing. But to fulfill the principle of risk sharing with profitability and responsibility, they need to offer financing products based on equity. So, this research has worked in this area of financing portfolio of these Shariah-based banks operating in Bangladesh to understand the factors behind the low appetite in offering the equity financing products. It has explored both the customers’ and bankers’ perspective to apprehend whether the reluctance is from the demand side, or it is influenced by the supply side also. After validation of the problem through a small survey, a detailed literature review has been done on this research area. From the literature review 5 complex factors and 25 associated simple factors have been identified for the supply-side, the Shariah-based banks, for which they are not offering equity financing products. Again, for the demand side, 4 complex factors and 20 associated simple factors have been identified, for the customers of Shariah-based banks, for not demanding equity financing products. Based on these factors, a survey has been conducted both on all full-fledged Shariah-based banks of Bangladesh and for customers of those banks. Structural equation model has been developed for both demand and supply side based on the survey findings. Both these models show the impact of each simple factor on the complex factor and the impact of each complex factor on the research subject. As a last part of data collection, interview was conducted with senior management of full-fledged Shariah-based banks on the research area to find out their thought on this. Finally, the factors received from all three sources, literature review, survey and interview, are analysed together and researcher has concluded with common complex and simple factors for both demand-side and supply-side. To mention here v that all complex factors are found common but not all simple factors are found in all these data sources. For the supply-side, i.e. Shariah-based banks, it is found that ‘strategic decision’ factor and ‘organization capacity’ factor are having very low impact on the Shariah-based banks for not offering equity financing products, which is 8% and 6% respectively. So as part of the ‘strategic decision’ factor, the simple factors risk appetite, bank management decision, and bank’s capital requirements are also having respective impact on complex factor ‘strategic decision’. Also, the sample factors of ‘organization capacity’, more qualified manpower requirement and finance monitoring requirements, are the common factors, having significant impact on banks’ decision of not offering equity financing products. Next comes ‘operational challenge’, which has 25% impact on equity finance not offering decision. The common simple factors found under this complex factor are non-performing finance and operating expense. Then, the ‘high risk’ factor has the second highest impact, which is 78%. Under ‘high risk’, the common simple factors are project selection risk, moral hazard from customers, and capital risk for banks, all are having more impact on banks’ decision. Finally, ‘customer selection', the last complex factor, has 84% impact on banks’ decision. The common simple factors identified by researcher here are sharing the right business status by customers, customer interest to be under direct banks’ supervision, customers’ ethical stand and wrong documents from customers. Thus, all the complex factors along with simple factors, are having impact on Shariah-based banks’ decision of introducing equity financing for customers. On the other hand, for the customers side, i.e. the demand side, the complex factor ‘control on business’ having the lowest impact, i.e. 21%. This explains that customers do not want banks to have control on their business. From model, it is revealed that ‘capital requirement’ factor is having 58% affect for not demanding this equity financing. The capital requirement, which means customer need to share their capital with banks in the equity financing contract, such as Musharaka/Mudarabah. So, customers need to have their own capital to get finance from banks. Also, if there is a loss, then the customer will lose their portion of capital as well. For these risks involved, ‘capital requirement’ is another important factor for customers for not to demand for equity financing. The common factors under this complex factor are capital availability of customer, cost of capital and loss will reduce capital. Then comes the complex facto, ‘loan vi associated factor’ with an impact of 71%. As per customers’ response the features of this equity financing are not preferable to them. The common features, come as simple factors here are amount of finance availability, tenure of finance available and documentation requirement. As per customer response, these factors do not meet their requirements. The last complex factor, ‘customer perspective’, has the highest impact, which is 86%. This is because, customers agreed that they do not have knowledge about Islamic equity financing, they do not understand them well, also not confident about banks operation of these products. So, this ‘customer perspective’ factor plays the highest influence on not demanding equity financing. Specifically, from supply-side complex factors, ‘Customer Selection’ and ‘High Risk’ are having the highest impact, which is 84% and 78% respectively on Shariah-based banks decision for not offering equity financing to customers. On the other hand, from demand-side complex factors, ‘Customer Perspective’ and ‘Loan Associated Factor’ are having the highest impact, which is 86% and 71% respectively, on customers for not availing this equity financing factors. So, researcher has concluded these complex factors both from demand-side and supply-side, along with their associated common simple factors, can be explored by the Shariah-based banks to design equity financing products for customers, which will change the prospects of equity financing in Shariah-based banking industry of Bangladesh. This research has covered the equity financing prospects, both from Shariah-based banks (supply-side) and their customers (demand-side) perspectives. The research, in this area of Shariah-based equity financing, is done for the first time in Bangladesh. The structural equation models, developed for both Shariah-based banks and their customers, are also done first time in this area of equity financing of Bangladesh. Future research can be continued on individual factor, to identify which factor to be taken in consideration by Shariah-based banks in designing equity financing products. Finally, Shariah-based banks can directly be beneficial through this research by exploring the factors affecting both the banks and their customers relating to equity financing demand as well as supply. Thus, this work will contribute to the Shariah-based banking industry in deciding the factors which are affecting the prospects of equity financing by Shariah based banks in Bangladesh.