HIRIT NG DTI: DAGDAG-PONDO SA PAUTANG SA MSMEs

KAILANGAN ng dagdag na pondo para sa loan program ng pamahalaan para sa micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), ayon sa Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Sinabi ni Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez na  ito ay dahil ang aplikasyon para sa P1-billion COVID-19 Assistance to Restart Enterprises (CARES) program ay dalawang ulit nang oversubscribed.

“Right now the application is over P2 billion. It’s oversubscribed and that’s the reason why it’s important that we can have new funds under the stimulus package,” ani Lopez sa isang virtual briefing.

Sa datos ng DTI ay lumitaw na may kabuuang P100 milyong halaga ng pautang sa ilalim ng 1,175 accounts ang inaprubahan ng Small Business (SB) Corp.

Mula sa inaprubahang halaga, sinabi ng DTI na  P5 million pa lamang ang naipalabas sa kabuuang 55 accounts, habang ang nalalabing P95 million ay naghihintay pa ng pirma ng 1,120 borrower accounts.

Lumitaw rin sa datos na sa 22,932 accounts na nag-apply para sa loans sa ilalim ng CARES programa, may kabuuang 1,638 ang hindi naaprubahan, kadalasan ay dahil sa less than one-year business track record per loan application document.

Ang SB Corp. ay nagsimulang tumanggap ng loan applications para sa CARES Program noong Mayo kung saan naglaan ang gobyerno ng

P1 billion na maaaring utangin ng MSMEs na nag-ooperate ng hindi bababa sa isang taon bago ang March 16, 2020.

“We expect P500 million to be released by the middle of July but after that, we really have to use other peoples’ money. In other words, other funds,” ani Lopez.

“Once the P1 billion is fully exhausted, SB Corp. will act as a loan originator with the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines.

“It is essential that we support the economy by keeping jobs so that people will have the income, income that will bring back demand and demand that will entice companies to produce more supply,” anang kalihim.

“We must therefore bring back business confidence and revive consumer confidence for the economy to go on again,” dagdag pa niya.