Chancellor George Osborne will unveil credit easing schemes to release up to £40bn in loans to small firms when he delivers Tuesday's autumn statement.
Under one plan, the government would underwrite banks' borrowing so they could pass on cheaper loans to firms turning over less than £50m. Loans of £20bn will be involved initially but this could be doubled.
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls commented that access to credit alone would not restore business confidence.
Mr Osborne is proposing three schemes in an attempt to boost economic growth.
The first scheme would see the government provide a guarantee for banks to borrow on the financial markets.
It is understood that the second £20bn of loan guarantees are being held in reserve for the moment but could be made available in the next two years.
The chancellor will also propose that the government takes a stake in an investment fund with private sector investors to provide a source of credit or loans to medium-sized companies.
A third scheme would offer an alternative to traditional bank loans by encouraging firms to sell bonds - or company IOUs - to the market.
Source: BBC Business News
No comments:
Post a Comment