The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) has placed access to credit at the centre of the next phase of monetary easing by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The association argues that lower headline borrowing costs alone may not translate into stronger industrial activity unless banks have sufficient liquidity to extend credit to productive businesses.

MAN, therefore, urges CBN to reduce the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR), currently at 45 per cent for Deposit Money Banks, arguing that the high reserve requirement is limiting the funds available for lending to manufacturers and other productive sectors of the economy.

MAN’s call came against the backdrop of the CBN’s latest monetary policy decision, in which the apex bank cut the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) by 350 basis points to 23 per cent from 26.5 per cent, while retaining the CRR at 45 per cent for Deposit Money Banks and 16 per cent for Merchant Banks.

The CBN also retained the Liquidity Ratio at 30 per cent.

Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, welcomed the reduction in the MPR, describing it as a positive development that aligns with manufacturers’ expectation that monetary easing should follow a period of economic stabilisation.

According to him, the reduction signals a gradual departure from the exceptionally tight monetary conditions that have prevailed in recent periods and contributed to the weak performance of the manufacturing sector.

He said the lower MPR should help reduce borrowing costs and improve the operating environment for businesses, particularly manufacturers that depend heavily on working capital and investment financing.

“The adjustment is expected to lower the borrowing cost and improve the operating environment for businesses, particularly manufacturers whose activities depend heavily on working capital and investment financing,” Ajayi-Kadir said.

He added that the reduction in the policy rate would support manufacturers’ ability to finance inventory, raw materials, production cycles, equipment acquisition and business expansion.

However, MAN argued that the impact of the MPR cut could be weakened by the continued high CRR.

Ajayi-Kadir said retaining the CRR at 45 per cent for Deposit Money Banks and 16 per cent for Merchant Banks means that a substantial proportion of banks’ deposits would remain sterilised as reserves rather than being deployed as credit to businesses.

“While reserve requirements remain important for financial and monetary stability, the relatively high CRR may continue to constrain the proportion of deposits available for lending to productive sectors,” he said.

According to MAN, reducing the CRR would complement the MPR cut by improving banking-system liquidity and increasing the pool of funds available for credit to manufacturers.

“It is obvious that improved liquidity conditions could increase credit availability and strengthen businesses’ ability to meet short-term financing needs, but the benefits of the MPR reduction may not be fully realised if credit expansion to the real sector remains constrained because of the high CRR rate that reduces the available funds for lending or investment,” Ajayi-Kadir said.

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