Banks approve more loans to SMEs in H1

Local banks have approved about 27% more new loans to local small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the first half (H1) of this year when compared with the same period last year, the Monetary Authority of Macau (AMCM) announced yesterday.
In absolute figures, MOP19.4 billion worth of new loans have been approved in this period. Compared with the second half of last year, the amount was more than double, equating to about 137%.
In the meantime, the outstanding balance of SME loans rose while the share of SME loans to major industries remained stable.
The collateralized ratio, which indicates the proportion of the credit limit secured by tangible assets, was 78.8%, up 20.4% when compared with the last survey period or 30% when compared with the same period in 2020.
At the end of June 2021, the outstanding balance of SME loans increased 8.3% from the end of 2020, or 6.4% from a year earlier, to MOP94.5 billion.
Compared to the last survey period, outstanding SME loans to “manufacturing industries” and “wholesale and retail trade” increased at respective rates of 49.2% and 13.9% whereas those to “restaurants, hotels and similar” dropped 8.7%.
The utilization rate, reflecting the proportion of outstanding credit balances to the credit limit granted, fell slightly to 82.4%. AL