BEIJING -- The cumulative turnover of China's main over-the-counter (OTC) equity market has reached 152.5 billion yuan (about $23.7 billion) so far this year.

The National Equities Exchange and Quotations, also known as the "new third board," registered a turnover of 5.88 billion yuan in the transaction week spanning Oct 11 to 15.

As of Friday, there are 7,254 companies on the board.

Launched in 2013, the board aims to offer small and medium-sized enterprises a new financing channel with low costs and simple listing procedures.