The economic affairs ministry is to expand its current guarantee system for loans to the small and medium-sized business sector in an effort to stop financing drying up because of the problems on the financial markets.

Maria van der Hoeven announced the measure on Monday evening.
According to the Volkskrant, it is the first measure taken by the government to protect the ‘real economy’ against the effects of the credit crisis.
Companies with up to 100 workers which cannot offer enough security for a corporate loan are currently entitled to a government guarantee to borrow up to €1m.
The scheme, known as the BBMKB, is now to be extended to companies with up to 250 workers and loans of €1.5m.
The minister, who declined to say how much money has been set aside for the BBMKB, has also set up a working party to assess what other risks small firms face.
Employers welcomed the move. It is ‘the first step in the right direction,’ Loek Hermans, head of the small businesses’ organisation MKB Nederland, told the Volkskrant.
Yesterday, farmers’ union LTO urged the government to do more to help market gardeners who are struggling to get financing.