IMPOSING THE MAXIMUM SHORT-TERM LENDING RATE 15% IN FOUR SECTORS
From May 08, 2012, the maximum short-term lending rate in Vietnamese dong by credit institutions for borrowers is the maximum mobilizing rate in Vietnamese dong for over 1 month term set by SBV plus (+) 3% p.a. This is regulated in the Circular No. 14/2012/TT-NHNN dated May 04, 2012.
Currently, the maximum short-term lending rate in Vietnamese dong for over 1 month term is 12% per year. As a result, the lending rate mentioned above is only equal to 15% per year.
The VND short-term loans applied to charge the maximum lending rate as 15% are loans to meet the capital needs of such sectors as: serving agriculture and rural areas; Implementing plans and projects of production and business of exported goods specified in the Trade Law; In service of production and business of small and medium; Developing supporting industries.
Customers of credit institutions and foreign bank branches applied the interest rate as stipulated are the eligible customers under State Bank of Vietnam provisions on the credit extension of credit institutions for customers and these borrowers are rated as the financially transparent and healthy clients by credit institutions. The borrowers are responsible for providing information and documents to clearly reflect the borrowing purposes as regulated and they are responsible for the accuracy of the provided information and documents.
At the Government press conference on the same day of issuing this Circular, representatives of the State Bank of Vietnam – Deputy Governor Nguyen Dong Tien said that, the administrative solution of setting the ceiling rate has been considered thoroughly and is only applied in a particular context for a particular time
Agreeing with the viewpoints of the State Bank of Vietnam, the specialists say that imposing the short-term lending rate and applying the output amplitude is the best way in the current situation, the capital flow will be opened after the ceiling lending rate is imposed at 15% per year, the inflation rate is not affected because the money supply is unchanged, but it can reduce the marginal profit of banks to help enterprises and promote the growth. However, the economic specialists also warn that, without tight management, the market will appear the problem of bending the rules.