On February 23, 2012, Industrial Bank (IB) held a press release in Fuzhou, announcing the release of Several Opinions on Continuing Strengthening Financial Services on the West Straits by Exerting the two Advantages of IB and Activating Three-wheel Drive. The Bank will employ its two advantages – its group headquarters and integrated business, and exert itself to activate “three-wheel drive” in regional planning, key industries and projects, and the real economy and SMEs, so as to enter into the crucial links and key fields for the economic growth of the West Straits in an efficient way, help boost the further development of the “Five Campaigns” of Fujian Province with comprehensive services, and propel the construction and economic development of the West Straits in a sustained way. This is another important action of IB to further provide more diversified financial services, make innovation in service carriers, and improve the service dynamics based on the previous strategic measures regarding the financial services on the West Straits such as the launching of the “Multi-Billion Program for Advancing Six Major Projects” in 2010 and “Seven Innovations to Accelerate the Five Campaigns” in 2011.
IB indicated that, as the only national listed bank with headquarters in Fuzhou, it will always consider it one of its missions to serve the leap-frog development of the West Straits and fully act as a leading financial force in the region. Firstly, it will support the economic construction of the West Straits by bringing into play its operation al advantage of its group headquarters to pool funds from all over China, making use of a number of financial resources, such as banking, trust, and leases, and implementing the “Multi-Billion Program for Advancing Six Major Projects ”. Secondly, by exerting its integrated business advantage, it will continue pushing the “Seven Innovations” forward, and explore new models, channels and methods to serve the West Straits by means of such financial services and functions as investment banking, financial lease, wealth management, trust financing, supply chain finance, cash management, and green finance, so as to meet the demands for various financial services to develop the economy of the West Straits. In 2011, IB made new achievements in serving the West Straits. The loans in both home and foreign currencies granted by all IB branches in Fujian Province totaled RMB 99.788 billion, and the credit balance at the year-end reached RMB 178.4 billion, increasing by RMB 34.58 billion compared with the beginning of this year, up by 24.04%, which is 8.87% higher than the average growth rate of the bank over the same period. The balance of loans to small-sized enterprises in the province totaled RMB 77.403 billion, increasing by RMB 15.684 billion compared with the beginning of this year, up by 25.41%, which is 9.53 % higher than the average growth rate of the bank in terms of loans to small-sized enterprises. The balance of loans to small and mini enterprises with a single credit line below RMB 5 million totaled RMB 22.5 billion, increasing by RMB 9.4 billion compared with the beginning of this year, up by 71.80%. The balance of loans to livelihood projects including the construction of urban infrastructure and small towns amounted to RMB 4.675 billion.
In line with the Several Opinions on the financial services on the West Straits released this time, IB will, closely following the development arrangement of the Development Planning for the Western Taiwan Straits Economic Zone and the General Development Planning for Pingtan Composite Pilot Zone and centering around the main subjects and lines for the construction and development of the West Straits, give priority to supporting the construction of key projects such as the Pingtan Composite Pilot Zone, Mawei New Town of Fuzhou, Xiamen Hi-tech Industrial Park, strategic emerging industries of Quanzhou, agricultural and subsidiary industries of Zhangzhou, water conservancy project of Putian, and small towns of Minhou. Moreover, the bank will vigorously support the growth and development of the real economy, especially medium, small and mini enterprises, exert itself to provide all-around services to and guarantee the follow-up funds demand of the “Five Campaigns”, and extend and expand the service fields, so as to form a lasting propelling force. The bank further indicated that it will try to increase to more than RMB 40 billion of loans across Fujian Province this year, with both the growing percentage and growing rate outperforming the average level of the whole bank.
In order to bring into full play the “two advantages”, activate the “three-wheel drive”, and build up sustainable, efficient and strong dynamics to blend into the construction of the West Straits, the bank will also continue inc reasing its support in terms of business resources, financial resources and human resources centering on the business objectives and emphases of “three-wheel drive”, and intensify its efforts to guarantee “three-wheel drive” especially by further increasing the scale of special loans on the West Straits, scale of special loans to small-sized enterprises, scale of special green finance and configuration of risk assets.