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Co-operative Bank Secures Sh8.25B From IFC To Boost MSME

Co-operative Bank Secures Sh8.25B From IFC To Boost MSME

Co-operative bank of Kenya has secured Kshs. 8.25 billion ($75 million) for onward lending to the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises at affordable terms.

Co-operative Headquarters, Nairobi

The long-term loan has a tenure of 7 years, coming in as a tier two supplementary capital and would target startups in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy and Co-operative Bank will apply the proceeds of the facility to support customers to better cope with the disruptions brought about by COVID-19 pandemic.

“The funding has come at a most opportune time as it boosts our ability to better support our MSME customers to stabilize and turn around their business to meet the challenges brought about by the pandemic,” said Co-op Bank Group CEO Dr. Gideon Muriuki.

The lender has leveraged its strong balance sheet with total assets at Kshs. 510 billion (as of 30th September 2020) and the IFC facility is expected to enhance the bank’s opportunities for growth and overall performance.

The funds will ensure qualified MSMEs not only survive the pandemic but also remain operational and viable for the long term, enhance the bank’s assets and liability match with long-term loans to customers, diversify the bank’s asset and funding portfolio by increasing long-term funding to support deposits funding and boost the bank’s competitive position on account of affordable lending.
The loan facility comes just months after it rolled out a similar Kshs. 5.4 billion financing partnership with the Diamond Trust Bank to support SME’s lending.
IFC has earmarked $2 billion of its $8 billion COVID-19 facility to the IFC Working Capital Solutions Program to provide funding to banks in emerging-markets so that they can support businesses shore up their working capital.