Business microloans rise 18 percent to 86 billion rubles
New loans issued to businesses by microfinance organisations rose 18 percent year-on-year to 86 billion rubles in the first half of 2026. The expansion was supported by higher statutory borrowing caps, with over half of the funds directed to trading companies.
Higher caps drive commercial borrowing
New loans to commercial entities and sole proprietors issued by microfinance organisations (MFOs) reached 86 billion rubles in the first half of 2026, representing an 18 percent increase.
More than half of the total volume was extended to trading companies.
Growth across the segment was driven by legislative adjustments that raised the maximum threshold for microloans to legal entities and individual entrepreneurs from 5 million rubles to 15 million rubles.
This threefold expansion in borrowing limits allowed microfinance lenders to accommodate larger financing requirements from small and medium enterprises seeking working capital.
Restructuring eased debt burdens
Alongside new lending volume, microfinance organisations maintained relief mechanisms for commercial borrowers facing debt service pressures.
Between January and June 2026, lenders granted loan repayment holidays and restructured existing obligations, approving an average of eight out of every ten borrower applications.
The vast majority of restructuring requests submitted by enterprises focused on reducing monthly instalment amounts to maintain operational liquidity.
Credit relief masks underlying strain
Raising loan caps successfully channeled non-bank credit into the retail and trading sectors.
However, an eighty percent restructuring approval rate indicates significant cash-flow strain among smaller corporate borrowers.
Microfinance is increasingly operating as a vital liquidity backstop rather than purely growth capital.