Furthermore, especially where small amounts are involved, rates vary widely even for transactions of the same type, such as personal loans, loans secured by wages and instalment purchases of consumer goods. This probably indicates insufficiently transparent contractual conditions and a pronounced segmentation of the market.
Firms as a whole still strongly feel that they have excess capacity and employees, and that they should reduce their debts to restore financial soundness. Nevertheless, the number of firms that take positive action, such as increasing the amount of fixed investment, has been increasing, especially in high-growth sectors.