Taiwan banks’ US$9.67bn 2011 SME loans above target

SME loans have increased by US$53.33bn as of July 2011 since July 2005.

Taiwan’s domestic banks lent to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) some NT$290 billion (US$9.67 billion) in the first seven months of this year, meeting 145% of the NT$200 billion (US$6.67 billion) goal set by the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) for the full year.

Starting July 2005 the FSC has promoted the SME loan program. Since then such loans have increased by NT$1.6 trillion (US$53.33 billion) as of July 2011 to bring the outstanding SME loan total to nearly NT$3.97 trillion (US$132.33 billion), accounting for 51.35% of the total.

Government-linked banks are major SME loan underwriters, with First Commercial Bank leading with an increase of NT$49 billion (US$1.633 billion) in SME loans in the first seven months, followed by Chang Hwa Bank and Hua Nan Bank with respective NT$25 billion (US$833.33 million) and NT$24 billion (US$800 million) in such loans.

In the same period Taiwan Shin Kong Commercial Bank saw a rise of NT$17.9 billion (US$596.67 million) in SME loans, the highest among private banks. E. Sun Bank followed with NT$13.4 billion (US$446.67 million) and Yuanta Bank came in third with NT$11.2 billion (US$373.33 million).

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