Credit approved to SMEs down 8.6% in 1H

[Photo: Renato Marques]

Statistics released by the Monetary Authority of Macao (AMCM) show that newly approved small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) credit fell 8.6% to MOP4.5 billion in the first half (1H) of this year.

The same release showed that in the same period, the delinquency ratio rose to 8.5%, despite the outstanding balance of delinquent SME loans falling by 2.5% year-on-year to MOP5.5 billion.

AMCM noted that the increase in the delinquency rate is linked to a larger decrease in the total outstanding balance of SME loans.

In 1H, the collateralized ratio, which indicates the proportion of the credit limit backed by tangible assets pledged as collateral, stood at 45%.

Regarding credit utilization, at the end of June, the outstanding balance of SME loans declined by 13.4% from a year earlier to MOP65 billion, mainly due to loan repayments.

By economic sector, outstanding SME loans to “education” and “wholesale and retail” increased by 4.3% and 2.2%, respectively, whereas those to “restaurants, hotels and similar activities” and “construction” decreased by 14% and 13.2%, respectively.

Commenting on the increase in the delinquency ratio, the AMCM said it would encourage financial institutions to negotiate flexible repayment plans with SMEs.