Better lending climate

According to the results of the March 2005 Ifo Business Survey, the lending climate for manufacturing has clearly improved. The enterprises gave more positive responses to the question on the willingness of the banks to lend them money. Although the negative responses still predominate, on balance the lending climate has improved over the past 12 months from -46.9 to -32.4. Larger enterprises still have easier access to loans, and smaller businesses as well as firms in eastern Germany experience more