Grapini said 1,200 SMEs applied for financing under the state-supported Mihail Kogalniceanu program.
Under the program, small and medium-sized businesses may access annual credit lines with entirely subsidized interest and/or loans partially guaranteed by the state. The annual credit lines are capped at 400,000 lei (EUR91,000) per firm.
The program was launched on April 15 and the RON16.115 million budget was depleted in just two weeks.
Grapini said she has called on the Ministry of Finance to increase the funding for the program by an estimated RON39 million.
The banks participating in the program are Alpha Bank, Banca Comerciala Carpatica, Banca Transilvania, Bancpost, BRD Groupe Societe Generale, CEC Bank, Garanti Bank, OTP Bank Romania, Pro Credit Bank, UniCredit Tiriac Bank, Banca Comerciala Romana, Piraeus Bank, and Libra Internet Bank.