【周轉困難】香港總商會調查：77%中小企業務未返疫前 資金周轉成難題 HKGCC Survey: 77% of SMEs Have Yet to Recover to Pre-Pandemic Levels, Cash Flow is a Major Concern

香港總商會公布上月對本地中小企進行的問卷調查結果，有77%受訪中小企指業務狀況尚未恢復到疫情前水平。而受訪的39.2%企業認為今年的營業額將會進一步減少，預期營業額不變的有35.1%，認為營業額將較去年增加的僅有25.7%。

香港總商會的問卷調查於上月24日至31日期間展開，目的是要了解中小企業目前所面對的困擾，受訪企業中佔最多的是專業及商業服務界別（31.1%），緊隨其後的是進出口、批發（24.3%）、製造（16.2%）及零售（9.5%）。

調查結果顯示，對於企業未來12個月的主要挑戰，有74.3%受訪中小企將「資金周轉」視為最大難題，擔心「租金昂貴」問題的中小企則有33.8%，另有25.7%公司關注「勞工成本高企」問題。

儘管企業在資金周轉上面臨困難，有44.6%中小企仍考慮減價吸客，商會擔心企業會因此陷入惡性循環。而為了紓緩現金流壓力，23%受訪企業計劃減少人手。

政府雖已推出多項計劃及措施，但分別有21.6%及24.3%受訪企業表示融資非常困難及困難，即共計近半中小企業在融資上陷入困境。目前政府設有40個資助計劃，但只有54.1%受訪企業曾申請最少一項資助。有約四分三企業表示，由於處理時間過長、申請程序複雜而對申請資助卻步。

在加大力度支援中小企上，商會認為政府提供資金渠道為最關鍵一步，其次是減少繁文縟節，以及促進商業聯繫和協作。

The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce (HKGCC) has released the results of a survey conducted last month among local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The survey found that 77% of respondents reported that their business has not yet recovered to pre-pandemic levels. And among 39.2% of respondents expect their turnover to decrease further this year, 35.1% expect it to remain unchanged, and only 25.7% anticipate a turnover-increase situation.

The HKGCC survey was conducted between 24 July to 31 July to understand the challenges currently encountered by SMEs. The majority of the surveyed companies were in the professional and business services sector (31.1%), followed by import/export, wholesale (24.3%), manufacturing (16.2%), and retail (9.5%).

The survey result shows that "cash flow" was cited as the biggest challenge for the next 12 months by 74.3% of SMEs, followed by "high rents" (33.8%) and "high labor costs" (25.7%).

Despite facing cash flow difficulties, 44.6% of SMEs are considering lowering prices to attract customers, a move that the Chamber worries could lead to a vicious cycle. To alleviate cash flow pressure, 23% of surveyed companies plan to reduce staffs.

Although the government has launched numerous programs and measures, 21.6% and 24.3% of respondents reported that they were either very difficult or difficult to obtain financing respectively, which means nearly half of all surveyed SMEs are struggling to secure financing. While the government has established 40 funding schemes, only 54.1% of surveyed companies have applied for at least one. Approximately three-quarters of companies indicated that they were discouraged from applying for funding due to lengthy processing times and complex application procedures.

To provide more support for SMEs, HKGCC believes that the government should first prioritize providing funding channels, then reducing red tape, and facilitating business connections and collaboration.