According to statistics released today by the Monetary Authority of Macao, new small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) lending approved by Macao banks dropped in the first half of 2016. On the other hand, the utilisation of SME credit in proportion to the credit limit approved rose when compared with the previous survey period. The outstanding balance of SME delinquent loans recorded a decline. New lending approved In the first half of 2016, new SME credit limit approved by Macao banks totalled MOP9.9 billion, down by 51.8% from the second half of 2015 or 44.8% from the same period last year. The collateralised ratio, which indicates the proportion of credit limit with tangible assets pledged, was 81.5%, down 2.1 percentage points when compared with the last survey period but up 3.1 percentage points when compared with the same period of 2015. Credit utilisation As at end-June 2016, the outstanding value of total SME loans increased 1.5% from end-December 2015 or 3.8% from a year earlier to MOP67.7 billion. When compared with end-December 2015, SME loans to “manufacturing” and “construction and public works” increased at respective rates of 28.1% and 6.0% whereas those to “transport, warehouse and communications”, “wholesale and retail trade” and “restaurants, hotels and similar activities” dropped 13.3%, 9.4% and 8.6% respectively. The utilisation rate, defined as the proportion of outstanding credit balance to the credit limit granted, increased 0.5 percentage points from six months ago to 61.7%. Delinquent loans At end-June 2016, the outstanding balance of delinquent SME loans dropped by 16.3% from six months ago to MOP306.4 million. Compared to a year ago, the balance grew 56.5%. The delinquency ratio, a ratio of delinquent loans outstanding balance to total SME loans outstanding, declined 0.10 percentage point from end-2015 but rose 0.15 percentage points from a year earlier to 0.45%.
