Felix Pinkston
February 3, 2025 09:39
According to a survey by the Hong Kong monetary authorities, SMEs experienced a wide range of stable credit conditions with some changes in credit approval recognition in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) published the latest survey results on the credit conditions of SMEs (SMES) in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the survey, Hong Kong’s SMEs have experienced a wide range of stable credit. Conditions during this period.
Credit approval posture
According to a survey, SMES recognition of SMEs’ credit approval posture was slightly shifted compared to six months ago. Except for unclear respondents, 70%recognized the credit approval posture as “similar” or “easy” in the fourth quarter of 2024, which has been reduced from 76%of the previous quarter. On the contrary, 30%believed that this position was “more difficult” in the last quarter. Since this perception can be affected by external factors such as media reports and business conditions, this recognition may be directly related to real difficulties in gaining credit.
Bank’s position on existing credit lines
Among the SMEs with the existing credit limit, the person who saw the “stricter” position of the bank was slightly improved from 1%in the last quarter. “Strict” postures may include measures such as reducing credit lines, raising interest rates or additional collateral requirements. However, this metrics may not completely reflect the actual credit supply for SMEs.
New credit application
Regarding a new credit application, 4%of SMEs in response to the survey applied for new bank credit in the fourth quarter of 2024. 77%of those who received the results reported a complete or partially successful application, slightly decreasing from 79%of the last quarter. The survey warns that these results can be affected by significant fluctuations because the sample size is small.
Survey
The survey conducted by the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) instead of HKMA includes about 2,500 SMEs in various economic sectors every quarter. The company, which began in the third quarter of 2016, aims to monitor SMES access to SMEs’ bank credits in terms of demand. The survey results are intended to be interpreted with other economic and financial data because they reflect the emotions that can be affected by a unique event during the survey period.
For more tables and technical information, visit the HKPC website (HKMA).
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