CHINA is pushing banks and insurers to step up support to flood and disaster-stricken companies and business owners to speed up their return to normal operations, its financial regulator said in a circular yesterday.

The National Administration of Financial Regulation said banking and insurance institutions should organize and mobilize disaster response, safeguard financial assets and important data and guarantee stable operation of basic financial services and key infrastructures.

The regulator’s circular came after extreme rainfall brought by storm clouds from Typhoon Doksuri battered several regions in China, killing at least 60 people and damaging homes, crops and infrastructure.

Banking institutions should strengthen credit support for small and micro enterprises, individual businessmen, it said, including for infrastructure repairs in key areas like transportation, communications, gas and electricity, agricultural water conservancy, flood control and prevention.

The regulator also asked insurance institutions to actively participate in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction, and said it would support insurance institutions to “actively meet” the funding needs of business entities in disaster-stricken areas for post-disaster reconstruction and production recovery.

It said it would guide insurance funds to provide long-term financial support for water conservancy, infrastructure, public services and other major projects through insurance asset management products and private equity investment funds. (SD-Agencies)