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    E.Sun Bank yesterday uncovered a program which allows social enterprises to take out loans more easily and at lower interest rates to help improve their development. The interest rates for regular corporate loans are usually at least 2 percent. But
(E)Sun bank would provide loans of up to NT$3 million for each social enterprise at 1.6 percent interest. The total amount of lending for the new program is limited to NT$100 million, which means at least 30 social enterprises could benefit from it. The bank is cooperating with the Taipei City Government for the program and only social enterprises registered in the city can apply for loans. 

   Because there is no complete and official definition of a social enterprise in Taiwan, the bank would ask four business consultants known for helping the development of social businesses to recommend qualified enterprises. After being recommended, the enterprises would need to apply to the Small and Medium Business Credit Guarantee Fund of Taiwan (Taiwan SMEG) for qualification, as the fund would provide credit guarantees for them. Then the firms would need to pass a review by the city government.

   It is not easy for social enterprises to take out loans, as their staff usually do not know how to prepare financial statements, which are crucial for banks when evaluating loan applications. In addition, because social enterprises’ profits are not as high as those of regular companies and as they do not have enough assets to be used as guarantee, they often end up paying higher interest. Taiwan SMEG, which normally offers credit guarantees of 80 percent, said that it would lift the guarantee percentage to 90 percent for social enterprises. The move would help reduce risks for the bank, and if a social enterprise failed to pay a loan, Taiwan SMEG would recognize 90 percent of the debt, while the bank would recognize the rest.