Over 400,000 consultations with financial institutions for small and medium-sized enterprises

The spread of the new coronavirus has had a severe impact on small and medium-sized businesses, and government and private financial institutions have received more than 400,000 consultations on cash flow. The spread of infection in Japan and abroad has not stopped, and financial institutions are responding, expecting that consultations will increase from next month.

In order to support the cash flow of SMEs whose sales have fallen significantly due to the impact of the new coronavirus, government finance corporations such as the Japan Finance Corporation have established a system to provide loans at virtually no interest for three years, and private financial institutions Has continued to support low interest rate loans.

More than 200,000 consultations have been made to government-affiliated financial institutions and nationwide credit guarantee associations by the end of last week, and to private banks and shinkin banks more than 200,000 by the middle of this month.

However, as infections continue to spread in Europe, the United States, and Japan, and Tokyo and other cities are demanding that they refrain from going out, many financial institutions are seeing increased consultations after the new fiscal year next month.

For this reason, some financial institutions have been delaying personnel changes from year to year and continuing to respond to SMEs without changing the person in charge.

The government is planning to provide interest-free loans from private financial institutions as well, as an urgent economic measure to come together.

In some situations, where a large amount of consultation is concentrated and the loan process takes time, it is also an issue how quickly we can respond.

Regional banks Strengthen efforts to support small and medium enterprises

Regional banks and shinkin banks have begun to provide support by understanding the extent to which the spread of the new coronavirus has affected local SMEs.

Musashino Bank, which is based in Saitama Prefecture, visited about 20,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, and conducted phone and phone surveys. As a result, the impact was about 4,000 companies and a wide range of industries, including manufacturing and restaurants.

At the driving school in Saitama City that I visited on this day, the self-restraint mood spread to refrain from obtaining a license until the spread of infection spreads among high school students who are about to graduate, and it turned out that students are not gathering as usual. .

At the driving school, instructors put on masks and take measures to prevent infection by paying attention to the ventilation of the car, but we are concerned that prolonged self-restraint moods may affect funding. The person in charge of the bank had proposed using the special loan system of the government and Saitama Prefecture.

Shinya Kato, President of Omiya Driving School, said, “I know that you need a car license, but I'm worried if the move to extend it a little further will spread. I'm very grateful. "

Mr. Kazuki Hirai, headquarters sales department of Musashino Bank, who continues to visit business partners, said, "The managers have a strong sense of crisis, and we are hearing hearing the raw voice and proceeding with hearing so that we can respond as soon as possible." Was.