CHINA’S central bank cut the cash that banks must hold as reserves Friday for the second time this year, releasing 550 billion yuan (US$79 billion) to help its COVID-19 hit economy.

The targeted reserve requirement cut is China’s latest step to cushion the economic blow of the COVID-19 outbreak amid worries about job losses, with more stimulus expected.

“The reserve cut will help supplement liquidity at the end of the quarter, increase the space for boosting credit and promote the rapid recovery of the economy,” said Tang Jianwei, senior economist at Bank of Communications.

The central bank has been encouraging banks to lend more to small firms and other vulnerable sectors under its inclusive financing push, and has urged lenders to extend cheap loans and tolerate late payments from companies hit by the health crisis.

“The reduction will also give confidence to the financial market to some extent, in response to the pessimism of the recent decline in global capital markets,” Tang added.

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said on its website that it would cut the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) by 50-100 basis points (bps) for banks that have met inclusive financing targets. The RRR for large banks is currently 12.5 percent.

Qualified joint-stock commercial banks would enjoy an additional cut of 100 bps, it added of the targeted cut, the ninth since early 2018, which will be effective from today.

Financial markets had widely expected more support measures from the government and the PBOC to get the economy back on a steadier footing. The government Wednesday flagged more bank reserve cuts and other steps.

The amount of liquidity released by the RRR cut would be smaller than the 800 billion yuan cut in January.

The PBOC has been ramping up policy easing since the COVID-19 outbreak escalated in late January. China has cut several key interest rates, and some analysts are expecting another cut in the benchmark lending rate this week.

The PBOC reiterated Friday that monetary policy would remain prudent, even if it is more flexible in prioritizing restoring economic growth. It said it would not open the credit floodgates, which led to a rapid build-up in debt in the past.

The government has also rolled out fiscal support steps for firms. (SD-Agencies)