The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a multilateral institution headquartered in London that aims to finance operations that are both commercially viable and assist development, has announced that it is considering granting subordinated debt of EUR 30 million (USD 39.6 million) to Fibabanka A.S., a private bank based in Turkey, with the aim of supporting growth of the Turkish micro-, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector.
Category: Eastern Europe and Central Asia
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IFC Loans $70m to SB Sberbank of Kazakhstan to Support Small, Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, recently announced that it would loan the local-currency equivalent of USD 70 million to Subsidiary Bank Sberbank of Russia Joint Stock Company (SBK) in Kazakhstan, a subsidiary of government-owned Sberbank of Russia, in an effort to increase financial access for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kazakhstan [1].
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Loans $2.6m to Mobiasbanca – Groupe Société Générale of Moldova for Residential Energy Efficiency
In an effort to boost residential energy efficiency in Moldova, the UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently loaned EUR 2 million (USD 2.6 million) to Mobiasbanca, a Moldovan commercial bank and subsidiary of France-based Groupe Société Générale SA, to be on-lent to individual households, housing associations, management companies, condominiums and energy service companies.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) May Back $50m Foundations Fund 1.0 for Small, Medium-Sized Enterprises in Romania
The UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently revealed its expected approval of an equity investment of up to EUR 15 million (USD 19.5 million) in The Foundations Fund 1.0, a Luxembourg-based corporate partnership fund, in an effort to foster capital equity investments in Romanian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that lead to multi-sector growth.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Commission, European Investment Bank Launch Small, Medium-Sized Enterprise Financing Website
The European Commission (EC), the legislative body of the European Union (EU), recently introduced an online portal featuring small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) stock prices and providing SMEs with information on the following EC programs: the Competitiveness and Innovation Program (CIP), which offers business support services; European Progress Microfinance Facility, which supports microcredit providers; Risk Sharing Instrument Facility (RSI), which supports debt financing to SMEs for research, development and innovation projects; and the Joint European Resources for Micro to Medium Enterprises (JEREMIE), which allows EU member states to use EU structural funds to finance SMEs via equity, loans or guarantees [1].
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to Loan $10m to KazMicroFinance of Kazakhstan for Micro-, Small, Medium-Sized Enterprises in Rural Areas
The UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will loan the local-currency equivalent of USD 10 million to KazMicroFinance (KMF), a Kazakhstan non-banking financial institution, in an effort to increase access to credit for micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises in rural areas of the country [1].
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Azerbaijan Microfinance Association Considers Credit Bureau for Microlenders
Teymur Heybatov, a representative of the Azerbaijan-Central Asia Financial Markets Infrastructure (ACAFI) advisory services project of the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), reportedly has announced that a meeting will be held with the leadership of the Azerbaijan Microfinance Association (AMA) to discuss establishing a credit bureau for microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Azerbaijan.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Grameen Crédit Agricole Microfinance Foundation Loans $800k to Soro Yiriwaso of Mali, Viator of Azerbaijan
The Grameen Credit Agricole Microfinance Foundation (GCAMF), a Luxembourg-based nonprofit that provides financial services to microfinance institutions, recently notified MicroCapital that it has disbursed a one-year loan of USD 396,000 to Mali-based microfinance institution (MFI) Soro Yiriwaso, its third loan to Soro Yiriwaso to date.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to Loan $77m to UniCredit Bank Serbia for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a UK-based multilateral finance institution, recently announced it will lend EUR 60 million (USD 76.9 million) to UniCredit Bank Serbia, a subsidiary of Italy-based financial services company UniCredit Group, for on-lending to private small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Serbia.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Telenor, Societe Generale to Purchase Serbian Unit of KBC Banka
Telenor Group, a telecommunications company based in Norway, and Societe Generale, a France-based financial institution, have agreed to purchase KBC Banka, the Serbian unit of KBC Group, a Belgium-based financial institution, for an undisclosed price.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) to Loan $6m to Mikrofin Banja Luka of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Inecobank of Armenia
The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a Luxembourg-based microfinance investment vehicle (MIV), has recently disbursed a loan of EUR 4 million (USD 5.2 million) to Mikrofin Banja Luka of Bosnia and Herzegovina and AMD 375 million (USD 911,600) to Inecobank of Armenia [1].
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), European Union Commit $25m to Kyrgyz Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (KyrSEFF)
The UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently launched the Kyrgyz Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (KyrSEFF), a USD 20 million credit line supporting energy efficiency projects for households and private enterprises in the Kyrgyz Republic.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Absolute Portfolio Management Loans $13m from Dual Return Funds to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in South America, Eurasia Including FINCA Armenia
Absolute Portfolio Management (APM), an Austria-based firm that invests in microfinance and other sectors, recently notified MicroCapital that it loaned the equivalent of USD 13 million during April 2013 through two of the funds that it manages to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Honduras, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Peru, the Philippines, Russia and Tajikistan. Of this amount, USD 7.5 million was issued in local currency.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE) to Loan $16m to ACBA-Credit Agricole Bank of Armenia
The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a Luxembourg-based microfinance investment vehicle (MIV), has notified MicroCapital that it recently disbursed two loans totaling the equivalent of USD 16 million to Agricultural Cooperative Bank of Armenia-Credit Agricole Bank (ACBA), a microfinance bank partially owned by French bank Credit Agricole.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Opens $112m in Credit Lines to Société Générale Expressbank, Sogelease Bulgaria for On-lending, Leasing to Small, Medium-Sized Enterprises
The UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has agreed to loan up to EUR 85 million (USD 111.5 million) to two units of French-based Société Générale Group to finance the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bulgaria.
MICROCAPITAL EVENT: European Microfinance Network (EMN) to Host 10th Annual Conference on Innovative Microfinance Solutions in Europe, June 25-26, 2013, Stockholm Sweden
Event Name: European Microfinance Network (EMN) 10th Annual Conference
Event Date: June 25-26, 2013
Event Location: Clarion Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Launches $100m Credit Line for Russian Residential Energy Efficiency Improvements, Center-Invest Bank Borrows $24m
The UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently launched an energy efficiency credit line valued at USD 100 million to be on-lent via local private banks to benefit individual Russian households, housing associations, management companies, maintenance service providers, condominiums and energy service companies (ESCOs).
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ProCredit Bank Bulgaria Launches Home Loan Program
ProCredit Bank Bulgaria, a microfinance institution (MFI) and member of Germany’s ProCredit Holding, recently launched a housing lending program for clients purchasing homes and refinancing existing home loans.