In March 2012, the Bank decided to enhance the Growth-Supporting Funding Facility by (1) increasing the ceiling for the total amount of loans from 3 trillion yen to 3.5 trillion yen; and (2) establishing special rules for a new lending arrangement of 500 billion yen for small-lot investments and loans, as well as those for a new U.S. dollar lending arrangement of 12 billion U.S. dollars (equivalent to 1 trillion yen) for foreign currency-denominated investments and loans.
Looking at the amount of loans disbursed so far under the Growth-Supporting Funding Facility, the outstanding balance of the total loans stands at approximately 3.2 trillion yen as of the beginning of June 2012. With regard to loan disbursement under the special rules for the U.S. dollar lending arrangement, the first disbursement of loans is to take place in September 2012.