The China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) said 99 percent of the banking outlets in the quake-hit regions had resumed normal operation as of Friday morning.

Business at Shaanxi and Gansu banks had entirely resumed. In the worst-hit Sichuan, 93.5 percent of the banking outlets in the province had resumed normal business.

In Sichuan alone, 97.4 percent of the China Bank's outlets were back to normal, and 99 percent of China Construction Bank's branches were operational.

The Postal Saving Bank and Sichuan's rural credit cooperative organs saw 98.5 percent and 99 percent of their respective outlets resumed operation from the quake.

According to CBRC statistics, the banking system has given out 24.38 billion yuan (3.47 billion US dollars) in loans to Sichuan for reconstruction work and disaster-relief as of Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency June 7, 2008)