THE municipal government of Shenzhen plans to use tens of billions of yuan to provide liquidity support to listed firms and ease pressure of forced liquidations amid a stock market downturn, Shanghai Securities News reported Saturday.

Under the plan, the city that hosts China’s second-largest stock exchange will provide liquidity via loans and equity investment in select companies, it said, citing unidentified people familiar with the plan.

The Shenzhen Composite Index has fallen 32 percent since the end of last year, including a 10 percent drop so far in October. That has put shareholders who have put up shares as collateral for loans at risk of being forced to sell, which could further dent share prices.

The liquidity support in Shenzhen would be carried out by Shenzhen government-owned investment platforms, the article said.

The report said there are 281 listed companies in Shenzhen, of which 198, or 70 percent, had outstanding equity pledges as of Aug. 20.

Since July, Shenzhen’s State-owned assets regulator has spent 2.2 billion (US$317.82 million) yuan on stakes in Shenzhen Infinova Ltd., Shenzhen Clou Electronices Co. and Eternal Asia Supply Chain Management Ltd., according to separate statements issued by the three firms.

Shenzhen Yitoa Intelligent Control Co. and Montnets Rongxin Technology Group Co., which are both listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, said over the past month respectively that they have inked preliminary agreements to sell stakes to two firms under the control of Shenzhen’s State-owned assets regulator. (SD-Agencies)