Ohoven: financing conditions for SMEs insufficient Berlin/Cologne – the majority of the middle class optimistically despite the economic crisis in the future. While the export-oriented companies are affected particularly hard by the downturn in other industries but the order books are filled, “relatively good and very good for the part” said Mario Ohoven, President of the Federation of small business (BVMW), in an interview with the Germany radio. In the construction industry, the craft or providers of niche products the order books are still relatively good and very well stocked for the part. This was to be expected that the massive stimulus programs of the Federal, municipal and State Governments are now quickly show effect and lead to a corresponding revival. The most medium-sized companies want to invest and if it somehow goes at least keep their number of employees. I would like to clear their location have at least 70 percent of the companies as well as satisfying or even in a new poll held.
Will develop the engineering, mechanical engineering contributes significantly, and that for many years, our export successes and above all the mechanical engineering is a reliable economic indicator, because the orders are as it were pro-cyclical. “And here you have to hear the President of the VDMA, which says, in the second half of the year also the machinery is put back on,” Ohoven said. However, the financing conditions would significantly improve. There is still no widespread credit crunch. Nevertheless, the problems associated with the debt financing would grow.
Is fixed, that is confirmed again and again by member companies, the majority of medium-sized companies is much harder on loans,”Ohoven complained to the Germany radio. According to a latest survey, 42 percent of small – and medium-sized enterprises assess the lending of banks as restrictive. We have had a whole new Flash survey of 1400 member companies as BVMW: for every second medium-sized companies Credit conditions have deteriorated in the past four months, nearly one-third had to postpone it investments, and over 80 percent expect a further tightening in the next six months. And with deteriorating financing conditions I mean specifically that the banks demand higher risk premiums or more collateral from their medium-sized customers and that above all, the loans with longer maturities have become significantly more expensive”, so the middle-class President. From the quarterly survey of the Central Bank under financial institutions, showed that half of the banks again has tightened standards for loans to enterprises in the last quarter, after that each already had done one-third of the banks in the two quarters before that. The exorbitant amounts that will provide with the KfW, had arrived at the middle class so far little. EUR 40 billion 2 billion in claims were approved, five percent. The understanding is not optimally run between the banks and the KfW. An improvement was however in sight, as companies now directly to the KfW could approach. The financial assistance of the Federal Government increasingly accepted view by Economics Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. The credit helps would be increasingly taken for operating funds, less for investment.