NEW YORK, June 16 — The Federal Reserve yesterday launched its Main Street Lending Programme, the most complex program undertaken yet by the US central bank to help keep the backbone of the economy from buckling under the strains of the coronavirus pandemic.
The programme, targeted at companies that were in good shape before the pandemic but may now need financing to retain workers and fund operations, will offer up to US$600 billion (RM2.56 trillion) in loans through participating financial institutions to US businesses with up to 15,000 employees or with revenues up to US$5 billion.
Lenders must register using the lender portal and are encouraged by the Fed to begin making program loans to for-profit firms “immediately.”
The central bank also sought feedback yesterday on a proposal to expand the program to allow nonprofit organizations to borrow under the programme as well.
Administered by the Boston Fed, the Main Street programme for businesses aims to offer credit for those that may be too large to qualify for the Paycheck Protection Programme, which targets businesses with fewer than 500 employees.
Unlike the PPP, which was established by Congress in late March and offers loans that can be converted to grants if businesses meet certain requirements, the loans offered under the Fed programme must be repaid.
It has taken nearly three months for the Fed to design, build and launch a programme to extend credit to companies in all walks of the economy, a huge departure from its role as a lender to the banking sector.
Fed officials adjusted the Main Street programme twice by expanding the range of loan sizes to make it available to more companies that need help keeping workers on staff. It also extended the loans to five years, with payments deferred for the first two years, to better help businesses struggling because of the crisis.
“Supporting small and mid-sized businesses so they are ready to reopen and rehire workers will help foster a broad-based economic recovery,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in a statement last week after the most recent adjustment.
'Critical sector'
In proposing to add nonprofit organisations to the list of eligible borrowers, the central bank is seeking to extend aid to a “critical” sector that employs millions, supports innovation and the development of a skilled workforce, and provides essential services, the Fed said.
To be eligible, nonprofit organisations must be tax-exempt, have at least a five-year history of operations, endowments of no more than US$3 billion, and meet certain financial thresholds, the Fed said in a press release. Organisations must have at least 50 employees and no more than 15,000 employees, or annual revenue of US$5 billion or less.
The Fed will collect public comments on the proposal via email until June 22. The Fed said it intends to finalise term sheets for nonprofits very soon after the comment period ends.
The central bank also said that repayment data showed nonprofits to be a relatively safe group to lend to and that the minimum employee size criteria of 50 employees was determined to be a good indicator of a nonprofit's ability to repay any loan.
Nonprofit groups would receive five-year loans, the same as business borrowers. Nonprofit borrowers would be able to defer interest payments for the first year and principal payments for two years.
The central bank said it would be transparent about the lenders and borrowers participating in the Main Street program, reporting the names of lenders and business borrowers, the amounts borrowed and interest rates charged, along with other details.
Companies that borrow through the programme will also be subject to limits on executive compensation, stock buybacks and dividend payments. — Reuters
