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The Legislative Assembly (AL) today approved legislation authorising the Government to contract debts up to MOP2.2 billion (US$275.5 million), to guarantee credit to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The amendment to Law no. 5/2003 – Authorization for the allowed debt amount contracted by the Macau SAR, allows the Executive to extend the number of subsidized loans for SMEs, to be granted “for banking institutions authorized to operate in the MSAR”.

The legislative change authorizes the increase of the “maximum limit of the guarantee amount of the SME Credit Guarantee Scheme for Special Projects” from MOP100 million to MOP200 million, in addition to raising the “maximum limit of the guarantee amount of the SME Credit Guarantee Plan, from MOP900 million to MOP2 billion”, for a total of MOP2.2 billion.

According to Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lei Wai Nong, the change is necessary to cope with the increase in orders from companies in difficulty.

“Due to the impact of the epidemic caused by the new type of coronavirus, the number of orders submitted [by companies in difficulty] has increased dramatically in recent months,” said the official.

According to Lei Wai Nong, “634 applications are currently being considered, involving amounts of credit guarantee or credit guarantees for specific projects in the amount, respectively, of MOP564 million and MOP4.5 million, and the number of orders is expected to continue to increase “.

In June – explaining the reasons for the legislative change – the executive pointed out that “the MSAR is facing significant influences from pneumonia caused by the new type of coronavirus and its economic situation is critical”, stressing that “all sectors and activities are to suffer a strong impact, especially SMEs, whose difficult situation is even more difficult and urgent “.

The authorities advanced at that time that, until June 22, they received “a total of 4,037 applications for the Bank Credit Interest Bonus Plan for Small and Medium Enterprises, involving an amount in bank credits of some MOP5.3 billion”.

Source: https://www.macaubusiness.com/govt-increases-incurred-debt-ceiling-for-sme-support-to-mop2-2-bln/