As per the directions of the finance ministry, SBI and other banks rolled out the Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL) loan product to support MSMEs and business enterprises as per the guidelines of NCGTC.
ECLGS is the biggest fiscal component of the mega Rs 20-lakh crore package announced last month.
Under the scheme, 100 per cent guarantee coverage is being provided by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) for additional funding of up to Rs 3 lakh crore to eligible MSMEs and interested MUDRA borrowers in the form of a GECL facility.
"The bank has sanctioned GECL aggregating Rs 15,000 crore to 1.5 lakh MSME customers. SBI so far has disbursed loans worth Rs 8,700 crore," SBI said in a statement.
Additional supportive measures such as COVID Emergency Credit Line, re-assessment of working capital limits, and restructuring of advances are also being made available to MSME customers, it said.
"MSMEs formed a very crucial part of the announcements made under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' by the Government of India wherein MSMEs were defined. To empower them in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, SBI organized more than 125 E-Town Hall Meetings from May to date," it said.
As per directives of the Department of Financial Services, it said, SBI conducted Circle level meetings to reach out to MSME customers and explain the various relief and financial support measures provided to them to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.
The main objective of the scheme is to provide an incentive to member lending institutions to increase access and enable availability of additional funding facility to MSME borrowers, in view of the economic distress caused by the COVID-19 crisis.
The scheme gives the lenders 100 per cent guarantee for any losses suffered by them due to non-repayment of the GECL funding by borrowers.
All MSME borrower accounts with an outstanding credit of up to Rs 25 crore as on February 29, which were less than or equal to 60 days past due as on that date, and with an annual turnover of up to Rs 100 crore, would be eligible for GECL funding under the scheme. DP ANU ANU