SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s commerce minister Wang Wentao said the country will take action to relieve the “distress and concerns” of small- and medium-sized enterprises, in an interview posted in the official People’s Daily on Tuesday.
China will “make full use of fiscal funds and policy-based financial tools to increase support for SMEs,” said Wang, according to the paper.
The country has more than 13 million enterprises, of which more than 99% are SMEs, said Wang.
The government will create more development opportunities for such firms, Wang added.
China’s economy hit its slowest pace of growth in a year in the third quarter, hurt by power shortages and wobbles in the property sector, highlighting the challenge facing policymakers as they seek to prop up a faltering recovery while reining in the real estate sector.
(Reporting by Engen Tham; Editing by Kim Coghill)
