In New Delhi
Minakshi Seth
Phone: +91 11 4111 1058
E-mail: mseth@ifc.org


Kathmandu, Nepal, May 9, 2007 — IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, today announced that Nepal Industrial & Commercial Bank has become the first bank in Nepal to join its Global Trade Finance Program.  IFC is providing NIC Bank with a $2 million facility, which will increase the volume and value of the country’s imports and exports while improving access to finance for local businesses.

The Global Trade Finance Program supports trade with emerging markets worldwide and promotes the flow of goods and services between developing countries.  IFC provides partial or full guarantees against underlying trade instruments and covers the payment risk of participating issuing banks.  The program allows issuing banks to increase the volume and value of trade transactions, with enhanced tenors and access to competitive pricing terms.

In addition to the guarantee facility, the IFC SouthAsia Enterprise Development Facility will conduct a diagnostic study and eventually assist the bank on a specific program for institutional capacity building that will help enhance the quality of service to the bank’s SME clients based on the findings of the study.

Sashin Joshi, NIC Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are delighted to work with IFC’s Global Trade Finance Program.  It will help us expand our network of corresponding banks and create new and valuable business opportunities for our clients in Nepal and around the world. In addition, through the capacity building program, we hope to adopt better risk management practices.”

IFC’s support to NIC Bank fits well with its strategy to partner with financial institutions and banks that are committed to developing corporate and small and medium enterprise sectors. The program will provide risk coverage in a challenging market and a global network that will help grow NIC Bank’s trade finance business.

“I am very pleased that NIC Bank has signed up under the guarantee program,” said Per Kjellerhaug, IFC’s Country Manager for Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. He added, “The Global Trade Finance Program is an important mechanism to get local banks into an active global network that facilitates transactions in challenging markets, promotes competitive financing, and builds correspondent bank relationships with new institutions on a low-risk basis. Trade finance is one good example of the many products IFC offers to help develop a sector.”

Anil Sinha, General Manager of IFC SEDF, explained, “We will collaborate with NIC Bank in developing appropriate SME banking products and services and building their institutional capacity.” Mr. Sinha is also the South Asia Regional Coordinator for IFC’s advisory services, an increasingly large component of IFC’s contribution to private sector growth in developing regions.

Trade development and advisory services for issuing banks represent an integral part of IFC’s Global Trade Finance Program. Advisory services modules include basic and intermediate courses on trade finance. In some cases, IFC places experienced trade finance bankers with issuing banks to help them develop their trade finance and other banking skills.

About IFC

IFC, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, promotes open and competitive markets in developing countries. IFC supports sustainable private sector companies and other partners in generating productive jobs and delivering basic services, so that people have opportunities to escape poverty and improve their lives. Through FY06, IFC Financial Products have committed more than $56 billion in funding for private sector investments and mobilized an additional $25 billion in syndications for 3,531 companies in 140 developing countries. IFC Advisory Services and donor partners have provided more than $1 billion in program support to build small enterprises, to accelerate private participation in infrastructure, to improve the business enabling environment, to increase access to finance, and to strengthen environmental and social sustainability. For more information, please visit www.ifc.org.

About Nepal Industrial & Commercial Bank

NIC Bank was incorporated in 1997 and opened for business the following year. The bank has been promoted by a number of Nepal’s largest and most respected companies across a range of sectors. Rastriya Banijya Bank, a government-owned bank and early investor in NIC Bank, later divested its five percent share in accordance with Nepal’s statutory guidelines. The shares of the bank are actively traded on the Nepal Stock Exchange.