China provides more financial support for startups

BEIJING - China's finance ministry has called for more financial support from local governments for startups to direct funds to cash-starved businesses.

The Ministry of Finance has required local governments to lower the requirements of applying for entrepreneurship guaranteed loans and bear the interest subsidies, as part of the country's inclusive finance special funds management.

The maximum loan amount for personal entrepreneurship guaranteed loans backed by interest subsidies from China's central government was raised from 100,000 yuan ($14,906) to 150,000 yuan from November last year, the ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the maximum loan amount for small and micro enterprises will be increased from 2 million yuan to 3 million yuan.

China's inclusive finance covers financial services offered by financial institutions to micro-businesses, farmers, those on low-incomes, the disabled and senior citizens.

The loan balance of the inclusive finance sector stood at 13.39 trillion yuan at the end of 2018, up 13.8 percent year-on-year.