Two reports published ahead of today's COSBOA National Small Business Summit in Melbourne have broached the failure by small business owners to access bank finance. The Australian Banking Association - with Anna Bligh as its CEO - has published what it calls an "economic report" on SME lending in Australia. Likewise, the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, headed by Kate Carnell, has circulated its  "Small Business Counts" report. Both are expected to present their reports and outline their views on SME lending today. The two reports cite similar data sources, primarily from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, seasoned with findings from the organisation's own surveys and market research. Both are in furious agreement that small businesses are failing to access bank finance. And here is where the reports start to diverge in tone and purpose. The ASBFEO report, citing ABS lending data for February 2019 (published in April) observed that lending to businesses decreased by 2.4 per cent, and since February 2018 it has decreased 3.3 per cent. "These figures are partly impacted by revelations at the Royal Commission into banking misconduct, resulting in a tightening of lending practices," the report suggested. It cited the SME Growth Index compiled by non-bank business lender Scottish Pacific, which showed that  "22 per cent of SMEs felt that it was already harder for them to access finance and a further 34 per cent believe their ability to access funding will soon be negatively impacted. " The ABA, while conceding that its members' data showed a decline in business loan applications over the past five years, then asserted the 33 per cent decline was "for reasons that are not clear". "There could be many reasons for the downturn, including believing that they won't get a loan, thinking it takes too long, deeming the application process too complex or they're simply borrowing money from other sources," ABA chief executive officer Anna Bligh said.  In its own report, and re-iterated to Banking Day, the ABA asserted that while applications have declined," [loan application] approval rates remain at around 94 per cent" for small business, in line with the long-term trend line. The ABA also criticised the ASBFEO report for including outdated stats - that is, to the end of the first quarter of 2019 - when more up-to-date information showed the beginnings of an uptick. "Applications for new SME loans rose by 23 per cent in the June quarter 2019, a much stronger rise than the average 15 per cent increase over the previous five years," the bankers' lobbyist body insisted. Nevertheless, the ABA conceded there has been a decline in loan applications by small businesses in Australia.  "With low interest rates, and sustained approvals, there remains a question of why there is subdued interest in new borrowing by small businesses." "[This] is a question that the banking industry is keen to address." The ABA report directs business