Basseterre -- Dec. 20, 2010 , (CUOPM) – The European Investment Bank
agreed to provide a US$ 8 million line of credit to the Development
Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis to ensure continued availability of public
and private sector finance during the financial crisis.
The
European Investment Bank’s line of credit will promote growth,
employment, competitiveness and economic diversification on the Saint
Kitts and Nevis.
According to EIB, the package supports small and medium sized
enterprises as part of the European Investment Bank’s priority focus on
private sector development. Projects in the manufacturing, industrial,
agricultural, infrastructure, energy, health, education and tourism
sectors will benefit from easier access to finance.
Renewable energy and energy efficiency projects will benefit from a
dedicated USD 1 million component and will further benefit from an
interest rate subsidy to facilitate investment in these sectors.
“The European Investment Bank recognises the importance of working
closely with commercial and development banks from around the Caribbean
so that they can continue lending to SMEs during difficult financial
conditions. We have worked closely with Saint Kitts and Nevis’
Development Bank for almost 30 years and look forward to seeing the
support that this programme offers to SMEs and Renewable Energy
projects across the Federation. The dedicated assistance for renewable
energy and energy efficiency projects recognises the specific
challenges faced by small island states in their fight against climate
change.” said Plutarchos Sakellaris, European Investment Bank Vice
President responsible for the Caribbean.
The Chairman of the Development Bank of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Mr.
Elvis J. Newton, in applauding the EIB’s timely financial intervention,
said that “This line of credit is extremely important to both the DBSKN
and the Government of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis at this
time of challenges resulting from the global financial crisis and will
greatly support the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis’ efforts
towards job creation, foreign exchange earnings and growth and
expansion of the local economy by making available financing on
affordable terms to viable projects in the sectors which have been
targeted”.
The European Investment Bank operates in the Caribbean under the
Cotonou Agreement. This line of credit is the fourth EIB project to
materialise under the Caribbean Joint Action Plan that the European
Investment Bank signed with the Caribbean Development Bank, Finance for
Development (“FMO”), the International Finance Corporation and PROPARCO
on May 19, 2010 in the Bahamas, bringing EIB’s total contribution to
the Caribbean region since May 2010 to USD 65 m.