Oscar Vílchez: “Mypes request credits of S/17,000 to face the school campaign”

The school campaign has already started and companies are requesting loans to face it with greater optimism. From Piura Box They indicate that they will grant in credits S/50 million more than 2023. In addition, the entity is preparing to explore the credit card market, launching plastic cards for Piura and Lambayeque in February.

—How do mypes face the school campaign?

—I see them with a more positive attitude than last year. We have projected to grow in products related to the school campaign, approximately S/50 million per month in the areas of office supplies, also toiletries —because the sale of these products increases—; textiles, such as uniforms and footwear, which are priorities in the campaign.

—On average how much credit are they granting?

—We are working with an average ticket of S/17,000, which is more or less what they were requesting last year. As we are focused on a micro-business, small business market, we try to ensure that the ticket does not increase too much.

—How are these amounts distributed?

—There can be credits of S/1,000 or S/2,000 —which are entrepreneurs who have a stall in a market, for example— and we can also have credits of S/50,000, S/100,000, S/200,000 —which can be a distributor or a bookstore that sells wholesale and retail.

—And for families?

—Yes, many clients choose credit to finance school expenses and there we are a little more conservative; We are projecting to grow S/5 million per month in consumer loans.

—How do you see the tax simplification proposal?

—We are still analyzing the proposal, but any attempt at simplification we consider to be favorable, above all, for the entrepreneur. We are always guiding our clients to formalize them, showing them the benefits. For example, when the pandemic hit, they could access reactivation credits, and now also because these programs continue.

—Although many mypes from different sectors, especially textiles, claim that they have not been favored…

—The clothing sector has been one of the most affected. We, for example, can give clothing clients at this time Impulso Myperú, and we have approximately S/200 million of funds that we are giving according to an evaluation. So our clients on that part have not been left out of the reactivation programs.

—Just one of the complaints is that the entities only give to their clients…

—In reality, any entrepreneur can access Myperú Impulse, whether or not you are a client of the financial institution. All you have to do is come in, submit an application, it will be evaluated and qualified. Whether with the support of the state program or with the credit products we have, we can serve them.

—When will your credit card be available?

—In February we are going to start with a pilot in Piura and Lambayeque, and according to that we are going to make our projections to launch it nationwide.

—Will it be only for Caja Piura customers?

—This card is going to be launched for those who are in our portfolio and also for those who are not; It will be a way to invite them. Therefore, this card can then lead them to have other Caja Piura products such as SME loans, consumer loans, savings accounts. I think the card is quite interesting for most of us and the boxes already needed to have this product.

—Will it be only for mypes?

—In the first instance, we have it for mypes, but later it will be for the general public. The idea is that this card will compete with similar products for the market segment we are in, which is normally the mype; A mapping of the rates and requirements has been made so that our card is quite competitive.

—There is talk that the savings banks can manage pension funds. Are you interested?

—Pension funds would give us a fairly important advantage. Municipal savings banks in general, and Caja Piura specifically, have been characterized by having a high rate of profitability compared to banks and, on the other hand, Moody’s has given us favorable perspectives and that will add value to the fact that these funds are going to be in entities that are quite solid. At the union level, it would be necessary to evaluate what the regulatory framework would be.

—At the end of December the deadline to withdraw the CTS expired. How did it go?

—As of November, of 100% of the CTS, about 50% has been converted to a fixed term; That is, of the total balance that was maintained, it has been retained by the cashier, and of the other 50%, most of it has been withdrawn by the client.

—In a fixed term, the rate they offer will go down this year…

—Now it can reach 8.5%, it was more than 9%, but as the reference rate has been lowered, we have also been decreasing the deposit rate. I think that a well-informed person will take advantage of maintaining their deposits with the high rate they have, or increase the deposit, or open new fixed-term certificates because we already know that the reference rate is going to decrease.