Macao credit cards in circulation down 8 pct in Q3

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-15 21:10

MACAO -- Credit cards in circulation in Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) decreased to 320,700 in the third quarter of 2008, down notably by 8.09 percent from the previous quarter, according to the figures released on Monday by the SAR's Monetary Authority (AMCM).

Workers walk outside the Las Vegas Sands construction site opposite the Venetian Macao hotel in Macau in this November 14, 2008 file photo. [Agencies]

AMCM said the marked decline was mainly attributed to the termination of dormant accounts by some banks in the third quarter.

The released figures showed that the numbers of pataca (MOP) cards, Hong Kong dollar (HKD) cards and renminbi (RMB) cards were 256,804, 55,581 and 8,312 respectively. MOP cards and RMB cards grew 0.88 percent and 15.57 percent year-on-year respectively, whereas HKD cards dropped 13.35 percent over the same period of last year.

In the third quarter of 2008, local credit card turnover rose 8. 57 percent from the last quarter to 1.56 billion patacas (197 million US dollars). The cash advance turnover amounted to 130 million patacas (16.5 million dollars), accounting for 8.49 percent of total credit card turnover. Credit card repayments ( including payments for interest and fees) increased by 9.85 percent from the previous quarter to 1.58 billion patacas (200 million dollars).

At the end of September 2008, credit card credit limit granted by banks in Macao amounted to 5.88 billion patacas (744 million dollars), down 6.64 percent from end-June 2008. Credit card receivables reached 980 million patacas (124 million dollars), while the rollover amount totaled 420 million patacas (53.2 million dollars), accounting for 42.78 percent of credit card receivables. Meanwhile, the delinquency ratio was 0.40 percent.