Chief Executive John Lee on Friday called on the city's banks to be "flexible and accommodating" in lending to eligible businesses as part of a concerted effort to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in these times of economic uncertainty.

He made the remarks at a luncheon event organised by the Hong Kong Association of Banks, which now represents 149 lenders from 33 countries and regions.

Speaking at the event in Central, Lee said the city's 360,000 SMEs are the "backbone" of the city's economy and it's essential to support them amid uncertainties.

"To ensure that they thrive in this period of global economic uncertainty, we have introduced a wide variety of support measures," he told participants, "many of them financial industry leaders," he said.

"I encourage banks to adopt a flexible and accommodating approach in processing loans by companies with a repayment ability.

"Together, we will work to ensure that temporary cash-flow challenges do not stifle or deter promising businesses," he said, adding that authorities are also looking to assist SMEs in utilising such tools as artificial intelligence technology to boost efficiency.

He said the government has already extended the application period for its 80 percent guarantee product under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme for two years, with a one-year extension of the principal moratorium arrangement.

Lee noted that a key strategy of his administration this year and in the coming years was to connect mainland enterprises with global markets following the launch of the cross-sector "GoGlobal" task force last month.

He said the initiative would enhance the city's status as a "premier gateway for two-way investment and trade" as well as its role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder".

Lee noted that bank deposits in the city had jumped to US$2.4 trillion in the first three quarters of the year, an increase of over 10 percent year on year.

He also welcomed the establishment of the anti-fraud education task force by the association, which had conducted over 110 outreach activities to help tackle financial-related scams.