Business Desk :
CDC Group (“CDC”), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, has committed $30 million trade finance loan to Prime Bank Limited. The loan will enhance the bank ability to meet local corporates’ US dollar funding needs, bolstering necessary import and export activities, and supporting the continued growth of Bangladesh’s economy, said a press release.
CDC’s loan facility will provide Prime Bank with a stable source of much-needed trade finance funding. This liquidity will enable the bank to extend more foreign currency trade credit at longer tenors to local businesses, and the facility is expected to generate up to US$60 million of additional trade every year across key economic sectors such as manufacturing, ready-made garments, food and agriculture.
M. Rehan Rashid, Country Director for Bangladesh, CDC Group, said: “CDC’s partnership with Prime Bank, demonstrates our joint goal of increasing financial inclusion and providing agile counter-cyclical funding in response to the funding gap in the market. We are thrilled to be backing a key Bangladeshi financial institution that will help accelerate capital support to local communities, boost businesses and economic opportunities.”
Hassan O. Rashid, Managing Director & CEO of Prime Bank, said: “The partnership with CDC is indeed a very timely initiative. This collaboration shall enable Prime Bank to address the need of Corporate and SME clients in the post-Covid business environment. Furthermore, the alliance shall provide liquidity support to our international trade business and help us to migrate some of the best international practices to strengthen our corporate governance.”
HE Robert Chatterton Dickson, The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh, said: “This new trade finance loan by the UK’s bilateral investment arm, CDC, will act as a stimulus to the growth of Bangladesh’s GDP by providing much needed support to key economic sectors. It underlines the UK’s commitment to accelerating economic recovery in Bangladesh by improving private sector access to finance. I wish CDC and Prime Bank a successful partnership.”
