The impact of the 2008-2009 global crisis on manufacturing firms’ bank accounts, overdraft facilities, and loans

Abstract

In this study, we focus on manufacturing firms in Eastern Europe and Central Asia and examine the impact of the 2008-2009 Global Crisis on these firms’ accounts, overdraft facilities, and loans. Our objective is to see if the crisis affected the number of manufacturing firms that have a checking/savings account, that have an overdraft facility, or that have a line of credit/loan. We also want to see whether firms changed the type of financial institution that they borrowed from (i.e. private commercial bank, state-owned bank/agency, or non-bank financial institution). Our results show that, post-crisis, a significantly lower percentage of manufacturing firms had an overdraft facility. Also, post-crisis, a significantly lower percentage of firms had a line of credit/loan. On the other hand, there was no significant change with respect to the % of firms having a checking or a savings account. Also, there was no significant change with respect to the percentage of firms borrowing from a private commercial bank, a state-owned bank/agency, or a non-bank financial institution. Overall, we conclude that, after the crisis, financial institutions in the region significantly cut their credit facilities to manufacturing firms while firms continued to transact with the same institution or a similar institution.