Written reply by Minister for Law, K Shanmugam, to Parliamentary Question on pawnshops and amount of loans

12 AUG 2013

12 Aug 2013 Posted in Parliamentary speeches and responses

Mr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade GRC)

Question
To ask the Minister for Law (a) what is the current number of pawnshops in Singapore; (b) what is the increase in their numbers over the past five years; and (c) what is the current amount of loans secured and percentage of items redeemed.

Answer

  1. As of 1 August 2013, there are 200 pawnshops in Singapore. Over the past five years, the number of pawnshops has increased from 114 in 2008 to 191 in 2012, giving an increase of 77 pawnshops during this period.

  2. Pawnbroking loans are essentially secured loans. Under the law, pawnbrokers are allowed to charge an interest rate of no more than 1.5 per cent per month. The majority of consumer loans in Singapore are issued by banks and finance companies. Overall, the amount of pawnbroking loans constitutes around 3 per cent of the amount of consumer loans issued by banks and finance companies.

  3. The total amount of pawnbroking loans granted this year, as at 30 April 2013, is about $1.9 billion. Such loans include loans that are refinanced using the same collateral. Typically, around 95 per cent of pledges are redeemed by pawners.

Last updated on 12 Aug 2013