中國(guó)國(guó)務(wù)院總理李克強(qiáng)的一個(gè)按鍵,標(biāo)志著中國(guó)首家互聯(lián)網(wǎng)銀行的正式營(yíng)業(yè),這也反映出中國(guó)政府希望新型的民營(yíng)銀行能夠擴(kuò)大亟需貸款的小規(guī)模借款者的融資渠道。
由中國(guó)游戲和社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)集團(tuán)騰訊控股(Tencent Holdings)發(fā)起創(chuàng)建的合資企業(yè)微眾銀行(WeBank),成為首家根據(jù)試點(diǎn)計(jì)劃開展業(yè)務(wù)的民營(yíng)銀行,去年,銀監(jiān)會(huì)向5家類似的機(jī)構(gòu)發(fā)放了牌照。微眾銀行的名字來(lái)源于騰訊大受歡迎的即時(shí)通訊和社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)應(yīng)用微信(WeChat)。
電子商務(wù)巨擘阿里巴巴(Alibaba)旗下一家子公司也獲得批準(zhǔn),與復(fù)星國(guó)際(Fosun International)合作創(chuàng)建一家互聯(lián)網(wǎng)銀行。
據(jù)官方新聞通訊社新華社的報(bào)道,李克強(qiáng)在深圳微眾銀行的開業(yè)儀式上表示,我們要“要降低成本讓小微客戶切實(shí)受益”,“這是微眾銀行的一小步,卻是金融改革的一大步。”
長(zhǎng)期以來(lái),小型民營(yíng)企業(yè)一直很難從國(guó)有銀行取得貸款,這些銀行更愿意貸款給規(guī)模較大的國(guó)有企業(yè)。經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家表示,中小企業(yè)占中國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)生產(chǎn)總值(GDP)的60%左右,占新增就業(yè)的75%左右。
騰訊和阿里巴巴計(jì)劃利用大數(shù)據(jù)優(yōu)勢(shì),利用用戶數(shù)據(jù)庫(kù)評(píng)估小型借款者的信貸風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。上周日,在按下回車鍵后,李克強(qiáng)向一名卡車司機(jī)發(fā)放了3.5萬(wàn)元人民幣(合5600美元)貸款。分析師預(yù)測(cè),多數(shù)貸款將為100萬(wàn)元人民幣以下。
微眾銀行和其他互聯(lián)網(wǎng)銀行面臨的一個(gè)重要挑戰(zhàn)在于吸引存款。微眾銀行將成為中國(guó)首家互聯(lián)網(wǎng)銀行,不會(huì)設(shè)立任何實(shí)體分支機(jī)構(gòu),而傳統(tǒng)銀行通過(guò)分支機(jī)構(gòu)吸收資金。
但阿里巴巴和騰訊已證明它們有能力吸引資金投入它們?cè)诰W(wǎng)上以及通過(guò)網(wǎng)站和移動(dòng)應(yīng)用銷售的存款類貨幣市場(chǎng)基金。兩家公司都擁有移動(dòng)支付服務(wù),用戶可以將資金存入自己的賬戶。
中國(guó)銀監(jiān)會(huì)最近放松了最高75%的貸存比規(guī)定,在計(jì)算存貸比時(shí),允許非銀行金融機(jī)構(gòu)將同業(yè)存款視為存款。這將減輕散戶存款基數(shù)較小機(jī)構(gòu)的合規(guī)負(fù)擔(dān)。
去年,中國(guó)還推出了新的存款保險(xiǎn)制度,旨在為低于50萬(wàn)元人民幣的所有存款提供保險(xiǎn)。這應(yīng)會(huì)讓初創(chuàng)銀行更容易與國(guó)有銀行爭(zhēng)奪資金,國(guó)有銀行被普遍認(rèn)為擁有政府擔(dān)保。
互聯(lián)網(wǎng)模式可以簡(jiǎn)化客戶服務(wù),在傳統(tǒng)銀行業(yè),即便是簡(jiǎn)單的換匯交易也通常需要很長(zhǎng)的手續(xù)辦理時(shí)間。
在批準(zhǔn)5家民營(yíng)銀行的試點(diǎn)計(jì)劃之前,民生銀行是中國(guó)唯一一家民營(yíng)商業(yè)銀行。
A keystroke by Chinese premier Li Keqiang marked the launch of China’s first online-only bank,reflecting the government’s hope that a new crop of privately owned lenders will expand accessto finance for credit-starved smaller borrowers.
WeBank, a joint venture led by Chinese gaming and social network group Tencent Holdings,became the first private bank to start operations under a new pilot, after the banking regulatorgranted licenses to six such institutions last year. Its name comes from WeChat, Tencent’swildly popular instant messaging and social networking app.
An affiliate of ecommerce heavyweight Alibaba has also been cleared to launch an internet-based bank in partnership with Fosun International.
“We will lower costs for and deliver practical benefits to small clients, while forcing traditionalfinancial institutions to accelerate reforms,” Mr Li said at an opening ceremony in Shenzhen,according to the official Xinhua news agency. “It’s one small step for WeBank, one giant stepfor financial reform.”
Small, privately owned companies have long struggled to obtain loans from state-owned banks,which prefer lending to larger, state-owned groups. Economists say small and medium-sizedcompanies provide about 60 per cent of China’s gross domestic product and about 75 per centof new jobs.
Tencent and Alibaba plan to exploit a Big Data advantage, using troves of user data toevaluate credit risk of small borrowers. With the press of a button on Sunday, Mr Li sentdispatched a Rmb35,000 ($5,600) loan to a truck driver. Analysts expect most loans will beunder Rmb1m.
A key challenge for WeBank and other internet lenders will be attracting deposits. WeBank willbe China’s first online-only bank and will not have any physical branches, the main channel bywhich traditional banks draw in funds.
But Alibaba and Tencent have already proven their ability to attract funds into deposit-likemoney-market funds sold online and through their websites and mobile applications. Both havemobile payment services that enable users to store funds in their accounts.
China’s banking regulator recently loosened enforcement of the maximum 75 per cent loan-to-deposit ratio, allowing placements by non-bank financial institutions to count as deposits underthe calculation. That will ease the burden of compliance for institutions with small retaildeposit bases.
China also revealed a new deposit insurance scheme last year intended to insure all depositsunder Rmb500,000. That should make it easier for upstart lenders to compete for funds withstate-owned banks widely viewed as carrying a government guarantee.
The online-only format could streamline customer service in an industry wher even simpletransactions such as exchanging currency often involve lengthy bureaucracy.
Prior to the pilot programme approval of six privately owned bank, Minsheng Bank was China’sonly privately owned commercial bank.