Banks 'pump' nearly 200,000 billion VND, why is it still difficult for businesses to borrow?

Banks have pumped nearly VND200 trillion into the economy in the first months of the year, but businesses still complain about difficulty accessing capital. According to experts, in order for bank capital to reach businesses, there needs to be close coordination between the bank's operating policies and strategies and the initiative of the businesses themselves.

According to the report of Bank State, as of March 12, credit increased by 1.24% compared to the beginning of the year (the same period in February 2024 decreased by 0.74%). According to the State Bank's data, the credit scale of the entire banking system as of March 12 reached 15.81 million billion VND, an increase of nearly 194,000 billion VND compared to the end of 2024 and an increase of approximately 164,000 billion VND since after Tet.

Previously, the State Bank assigned this year's credit growth target to credit institutions with a target growth rate of 16%, to meet people's capital needs. business and promote economic development.

According to a State Bank leader, in the first two months of the year, the State Bank issued 10 documents directing credit institutions to implement solutions. credit growth, while simplifying procedures and applying digital transformation technology to the credit granting process. Credit institutions are also required to strictly implement the direction of the Government, the Prime Minister and the State Bank in stabilizing and reducing interest rates. loan.

Thanks to these synchronous solutions, credit growth at the beginning of the year has shown signs of improvement compared to the same period in 2024, although there is often a decline in the first months of the year due to seasonal factors and the Lunar New Year.

Credit growth is high but small businesses still find it difficult to borrow capital from banks (photo: Nhu Y).

According to this person, many businesses find it difficult access to capital loans by businesses that do not meet the bank's conditions. "Banks cannot increase credit at all costs. Accordingly, businesses must meet the conditions to ensure credit quality and avoid increasing bad debt," he said.

Talk to Tien Phong reporter , economic expert Nguyen Quang Huy analyzed that recently, statistics show that credit growth in Vietnam has reached quite impressive levels. The State Bank has continuously reported that credit capital has been injected into the economy at a rapid pace, to support economic recovery after the pandemic and promote production and business. However, paradoxically, many businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, continue to report that accessing bank capital is very difficult.

According to Mr. Huy, credit has increased but is unevenly distributed. One of the main reasons is that credit flows are not evenly distributed among sectors and types of enterprises. In fact, most credit capital often flows to large enterprises, reputable corporations or real estate projects, while small and medium enterprises - which account for a large proportion of the economy - have little access. Banks often prioritize lending to customers with high-value mortgaged assets and good credit records, putting small enterprises, lacking collateral, at a disadvantage.

Mr. Huy added, although interest rate Although the lending criteria have been adjusted down at some point, the lending conditions of banks are still very strict. Enterprises need to demonstrate strong financial capacity, have a clear business plan and stable profits. However, after a difficult period due to the pandemic and global economic fluctuations, many enterprises cannot meet these standards. This leads to the fact that although credit growth is increasing, not all enterprises are qualified to "touch" the capital source.

"After a series of incidents related to bad debt In recent years, commercial banks have become more cautious in lending. They tighten their appraisal and risk management processes, even refusing to lend if they feel that a business is at risk of defaulting on its debts. This especially affects newly established businesses or businesses in the recovery phase, even though their capital needs are urgent," said Mr. Huy.

The expert said that to solve the capital problem for businesses, there needs to be synchronous coordination between the parties. Accordingly, the State Bank can consider introducing more specific preferential policies for small and medium enterprises, such as credit guarantees or reducing loan conditions. Commercial banks also need to be more flexible in evaluating loan applications, instead of relying solely on collateral. On the business side, improving management capacity, financial transparency and build A viable business plan will increase your chances of accessing capital.

"High credit growth is a positive signal for the economy, but to effectively get capital to businesses, there needs to be improvements in both policy and actual operations. Otherwise, the complaint of "difficulty in borrowing capital" from businesses will remain a burning issue in the coming time," said Mr. Huy.

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