Private Sector Credit Extension (PSCE)

Mortgage advances and credit for fixed asset purchases remain relatively subdued. Despite cumulative interest rate reductions totalling 175 basis points since September 2024—culminating in another 25-basis point cut on 29 May 2025—property demand has not yet responded strongly. The full benefits of lower rates are anticipated to materialise later in 2025, as household disposable incomes improve supported by stable market sentiment.

In April, instalment credit sales rose marginally by 0.3%, following a 0.7% increase in March, with an annual growth rate of 5.8%. Over the past two years, consumers have increasingly relied on short-term credit to manage rising living costs and financial pressures, reflected in a 6.6% jump in other loans and advances after a 4.4% rise in the previous month.

Growth in property and fixed asset purchases remains modest; mortgage advances increased by just 3.5% in April 2025, like March. This subdued activity stems from late-2023 when rising interest rates constrained property demand. However, with recent rate cuts, particularly the 25-basis point reduction in May 2025, along with anticipated further easing, demand for property and fixed assets is expected to pick up as household incomes stabilise and increase.

As inflation remains favourable, ongoing rate reductions should improve disposable incomes further, leading to increased demand for goods and fixed assets heading into the second quarter of 2025.