Research & Policy Briefs From the World Bank Malaysia Hub No. 9, Oct 2017 Addressing the SME Finance Problem Facundo Abraham Sergio L. Schmukler Despite the importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to economic activity and employment, their access to finance remains limited. Many countries are addressing this issue by implementing innovative instruments to unlock SME finance. The SME Finance Problem a high proportion of SMEs need a loan but refrain from applying for credit. This is the case for 20 percent of SMEs Although SMEs provide employment to a large share of the in high-income countries, 28 percent of SMEs in middle- labor force in developed and developing countries, they income countries, and 44 percent of SMEs in low-income receive limited external funding compared to large firms countries (World Bank 2013). Whereas some SMEs exclude and face a financing gap. This problem is not specific to themselves because they lack profitable investment developing countries; SMEs in developed countries also projects, others perceive that their credit application will suffer from a similar shortfall in financing. According to the not succeed because, for example, they lack enough collat- World Bank Enterprise Survey, SMEs are less likely to have eral or cannot provide all the required information. a formal bank loan or other lines of credit compared to large firms (figure 1). The International Finance Corpora- Obstacles to SME Finance tion (IFC) estimates that in aggregate across developing regions, the credit gap to formal SMEs ranged from $900 to Several roadblocks stand in the way of SME finance. SMEs $1,100 billion in 2011.1 These values represented between typically are more “opaque” than large firms because they 26 and 32 percent of total credit to formal SMEs (figure 2). have less publicly available information. As a result, banks have more difficulties in assessing the creditworthiness of This policy brief explores two questions. Why are SMEs SMEs, which can discourage lending to these firms. more financially constrained than large firms? What are some feasible and innovative solutions to help SMEs obtain Opaqueness also requires banks to rely more on better access to finance? Understanding the SME finance relationship lending when dealing with SMEs. This means problem is critical because difficulties in obtaining finance that lending depends more on “soft information” gathered can hamper the ability of established smaller firms to by loan officers through personalized contacts. Relation- invest and grow and of new firms to launch operations, ship lending can discourage loans by large and foreign hindering overall growth in economic activity and employ- banks, which maintain more impersonal relations with ment. clients. However, new technologies are reducing the need for relationship lending and facilitating lending to SMEs A Supply or Demand Problem? using “hard (more quantitative) information” (de la Torre, Martínez Pería, and Schmukler 2010). Both supply and demand factors can explain the low observed use of banking services by SMEs. A supply-side Lenders can substitute the lack of information on SMEs problem occurs when SMEs have profitable investment with higher requirements for collateral. But banks will be projects but cannot get sufficient external funds to finance willing to provide collateralized loans only when appropri- them. Market imperfections, such as information asymme- ate institutions exist to enforce contracts. These institu- tries or weak creditor protection, could make it more tions need to clearly establish which assets can be collater- difficult for financial intermediaries to assess the credit- alized, protect creditors’ rights, and guarantee swift worthiness of SMEs, monitor their actions, and enforce judicial procedures, among other provisions. As a result, repayment. These types of imperfections can limit lending when property rights are weak, SMEs will be more finan- to firms, including those with profitable investment oppor- cially constrained than large firms (Beck, Demirgüç-Kunt, tunities. A demand-side problem exists when SMEs are not and Maksimovic 2008). creditworthy. In this case, unless lending is subsidized, The macroeconomic environment can also hamper creditors will not extend credit because they would incur in SME finance. For example, if the government runs a fiscal losses. deficit, banks might find it more profitable or less risky to Although demand-side problems occur, supply-side fund the government instead of lending to the private constraints are much more prevalent. Evidence shows that sector. This could reduce the credit available to SMEs. Affiliation: Development Research Group, the World Bank. E-mail addresses: facundoabraham@gmail.com, sschmukler@worldbank.org. Objective and disclaimer: Research & Policy Briefs synthesize existing research and data to shed light on a useful and interesting question for policy debate. Research & Policy Briefs carry the names of the authors and should be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions are entirely those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the views of the World Bank Group, its Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. Acknowledgement: We received very useful guidance from José De Luna Martínez and Norman Loayza. We are also grateful to Daniel Lederman and Carlos Végh for comments provided on related work. Global Knowledge & Research Hub in Malaysia Addressing the SME Finance Problem Figure 1. Use of Formal Credit by Firm Size 70 66 63 60 55 56 54 53 54 50 45 44 Percent 43 43 44 43 43 42 40 38 36 34 30 29 30 27 21 22 20 17 10 0 East Asia and Europe and High-Income Latin America Middle East OECD South Asia Sub-Saharan Pacific Central Asia non-OECD and the and North Africa Caribbean Africa Small Medium Large Source: World Bank Enterprise Sur vey. This figure shows for each region the cross-country average of the percentage of firms that have a credit line or a loan from a financial institution, according to firm size. For each country, data for the last available date was considered. The years of country-data range between 2005 and 2016. Financial regulations that require banks to keep counter-guarantees, and/or tax incentives) or directly detailed information on clients and loan originations could administering their own schemes. also limit lending to smaller firms. For example, Despite their popularity, the evidence on the impact of anti-money laundering regulations that mandate banks to credit guarantees is mixed. There is some evidence that have detailed documentation on their customers might these mechanisms can increase loans and enhance financ- exclude smaller and informal SMEs from the loan market. ing conditions to targeted firms. However, they can also be The nature of SMEs can also hinder lending. SMEs tend associated with lower creditworthiness and higher to be young and banks typically require at least two years defaults. Banks may simply shift from unguaranteed to of accounting records. SMEs in innovative sectors face guaranteed lending, generating no or limited new lending. additional financial constraints because banks are reluc- Whereas in some countries firms that receive guaranteed tant to lend to unfamiliar sectors. Many SMEs are also loans have improved their performance, in others, SMEs’ informal (not legally registered or licensed), which performance did not change or even worsened (Gozzi and prevents banks from serving them. Schmukler 2015). Innovative Initiatives to Increase SME Finance Online Platforms for Reverse Factoring Public Credit Guarantees Online platforms for conducting reverse factoring transac- tions are facilitating supply-chain finance to SMEs. After Credit guarantee schemes are mechanisms through which making a sale, SMEs often receive account receivables an external third party, known as the guarantor, promises from their buyers, which are typically paid months after to repay the lender all or part of the loan if the borrower the goods are delivered. Online platforms allow SMEs to defaults. When a credit is guaranteed, the creditor faces shorten the maturity of these payments by making it easier lower risk, and can offer better lending conditions and for firms to sell their account receivables to financial require lower collateral. institutions in exchange for cash. Large, well-known buyers Public credit guarantees have become a popular tool can post online the accounts payable they receive from used by governments to channel credit toward SMEs. A their SMEs suppliers. Interested financial institutions then survey of credit guarantee schemes around the world submit offers to buy them at a discount. SMEs accept the shows that over 30 percent of these schemes have some most convenient offer and automatically receive payment form of state ownership. Public credit guarantee schemes to their bank account. Using online platforms reduces are particularly important in developing countries, where transaction costs and fosters competition. Furthermore, they are the main type of guarantee scheme (Beck, because buyers enter information on the receivables into Klapper, and Mendoza 2010). Governments often get the system, SMEs cannot submit bogus or duplicate receiv- involved in these schemes in two different ways: by ables, which reduces fraud. Credit risk is also reduced supporting private guarantee schemes (with direct funding, because financial institutions bear the risk of the buyers 2 Research & Policy Brief No.9 (usually creditworthy firms) instead of the risker SMEs. movable assets tend to expand finance to SMEs. Improving movable collateral laws increases borrowing by firms that Governments have developed successful online rely more on movable assets (Campello and Larraín 2016). platforms. A leading example is a development bank in In addition, after collateral registries are introduced as part Mexico, NAFIN (Nacional Financiera), which has operated of the initiatives to foster the use of movable collateral, its own online platform for supply-chain finance since firms receive more financing at lower costs (Love, Martínez 2001. NAFIN only administers the platform and does not Pería, and Singh, 2016). give lending directly, which is provided by private banks. As of 2015, the program encompassed about 12,000 suppli- Credit Bureaus and Credit Registries ers, over 600 buyers, and about 40 private financing institutions. Due to its success, NAFIN has entered into Mechanisms that allow creditors to share information agreements with other Latin American development banks about the creditworthiness of borrowers have also been to develop reverse factoring systems in Central America, used to promote SME finance through different channels. Colombia, and Ecuador (de la Torre, Gozzi, and Schmukler By allowing lenders to share relevant information from 2017). Nowadays, these automated systems are also being borrowers with other lenders, these mechanisms reduce offered by fintech (financial technology) companies, as information asymmetries in SME lending. Furthermore, well as new ventures set up by traditional banks, in both they increase bank competition because they reduce developed and developing countries (The Economist lenders’ monopoly on credit information (OECD 2012). 2017). Credit information sharing mechanisms can take the Movable Collateral form of credit registries and credit bureaus. Credit regis- tries are managed by the public sector (typically, bank Movable assets (such as machinery, and accounts receiv- supervisors or central banks) and collect information from ables) account for most of a firm’s assets, particularly for SMEs. However, due to weak legal and regulatory environ- supervised financial institutions. By contrast, credit ments, banks are often reluctant to accept these assets as bureaus are private businesses that collect information collateral, especially in developing countries. In this required by commercial lenders. Credit bureaus have some context, banks prefer immovable assets, which are more advantages because, as for-profit organizations, they have difficult to hide and are less likely to be subject to owner- incentives to provide wide coverage, collect quality infor- ship disputes, as collateral. mation, and offer value-added services. One drawback is that the information might not be available to everyone. In this context, several countries have pursued reforms of their secured transactions systems, that is, the legal and Evidence shows that SMEs benefit the most from these institutional structures that govern how agents can create mechanisms. Improving information sharing mechanisms security interests over movable assets (Alvarez de la reduces the financing gap between large and small firms, Campa 2013). Reforms aimed at fostering the use of and expands credit to small firms that face credit Figure 2. Credit Gap to Formal SMEs 400 350 300 Percent 250 200 150 100 50 0 East Asia and Europe and High-Income Latin America Middle East South Asia Sub-Saharan Pacific Central Asia OECD and the and North Africa Caribbean Africa Source: Stein et al. (2013). This figure shows for each region the credit gap to formal SMEs as percentage of total oustanding credit to formal SMEs. For each region, the minimum and maximum estimated values are indicated. Data are for 2011. 3 Addressing the SME Finance Problem constraints (Berger, Frame, and Miller 2005; Galindo and Next Steps Micco 2010). The initiatives discussed illustrate the different tools that countries around the world have at their disposal to try to Capital Markets Tailored to SMEs unlock SME finance. These initiatives complement other Governments have tried to circumvent banks by develop- government efforts to support SMEs, such as the provision ing specific capital markets targeted at SMEs. These of technical assistance to enhance their business practices. markets offer listing and regulatory requirements tailored to smaller firms such as lower fees, lower profitability Designing effective policy interventions requires having requirements, and smaller issuances. accurate and extensive information on the state of SME finance and the nature of the SME finance problem in each Despite the initial enthusiasm to promote these country. Better information enables governments to markets worldwide, these markets seem to be reaching a identify cases when SMEs are not being adequately served small number of firms (Harwood and Konidaris 2015). Asia by the financial sector. Information also helps determine provides a good example of these difficulties. Since the late the extent to which the lack of financing to SMEs is caused 1990s, various countries throughout the region have set by supply-side problems or demand-side problems, which up specific capital markets targeted at smaller firms. kinds of intervention might be more appropriate, and the However, these markets have generally only appealed to a impact of these interventions. More information is also small number of SMEs. For example, as of 2014, only 4 helping traditional financial firms as well as the fintech firms were listed in SME capital markets in the Philippines, sector reach out to SMEs. Governments might want to 88 in India, 107 in Malaysia, and 111 in Thailand. Similar assist these efforts by fostering the collection and use of patterns can be observed in developing countries from information on the financing needs of SMEs and by other regions (WFE 2015). In the midst of these unsuccess- supporting alternative financing mechanisms. ful experiences, the case of China is worth analyzing, given its undergoing efforts to establish these markets. Policy initiatives aimed at enhancing access to credit for SMEs would benefit from experimentation as well as The underdevelopment of these markets could be due systematic and rigorous impact evaluations of the ongoing to some SMEs’ lack of financial literacy, which discourages efforts. The challenge has been well identified across the them from turning to capital markets for funds. Other world, but solutions have yet to be properly vetted and SMEs might feel that the benefits of listings are offset by continuously monitored. the short-termism and volatility of these markets, and the loss of control of their firms. These markets have also had Note 1 The credit gap is defined as the amount of credit that would be difficulties attracting institutional investors, which are the needed to satisfy the demand of unserved and underserved formal main participants in capital markets but favor large, liquid SMEs. Unserved SMEs are those that do not have a loan but need companies, whose securities can be disposed of on short one. Underserved SMEs are those that have a loan but still find notice without affecting their price (OECD 2015). access to finance to be an operating constraint. 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