FMO signed a USD 40 million syndicated loan for Banco Regional S.A.E.C.A., Paraguay’s main agribusiness bank. USD 15 million of the transaction was syndicated to the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO).
Banco Regional is an important member of the Paraguayan Roundtable for Sustainable Finance, a sector initiative supported by FMO which promotes environmental and social (E&S) risk management in the Paraguayan banking sector. Moreover, FMO is working with Banco Regional on the elaboration of an E&S guide for the agribusiness sector to advice local investment officers on how to challenge and inspire farmers on compliance with E&S laws and working towards best E&S practices.
Linda Broekhuizen, Chief Investment Officer of FMO, said: “Through this long-term commitment to our partners in this E&S sector initiative, we position ourselves as change agents in the Paraguayan context. We are especially pleased that we can bring other investors along in this effort.”
About FMO
FMO (the Netherlands Development Finance Company) is the Dutch development bank. FMO supports sustainable private sector growth in developing and emerging markets by investing in ambitious entrepreneurs. FMO believes a strong private sector leads to economic and social development, empowering people to employ their skills and improve their quality of life. FMO focuses on three sectors that have high development impact: financial institutions, energy, and agribusiness, food & water. With an investment portfolio of EUR 6.6 billion, FMO is one of the largest European bilateral private sector development banks. www.fmo.nl
About Banco Regional S.A.E.C.A.
Banco Regional was founded in 1991 as a bank focused on supporting and financing farming businesses and cooperatives. With Rabobank entering as a shareholder in 2008 and the acquisition of the Paraguayan business of ABN AMRO, Banco Regional became Paraguay’s largest bank in food and agribusiness. Now the bank combines this heritage with a wider focus on financing the Paraguayan business community and offering retail services. Banco Regional started to develop a corporate social responsibility policy and organizational structure in 2011. As a financial institution focused on agribusiness and industry, Banco Regional is committed to the management of environmental and social risks. In order to reduce such risks, the bank advises clients in the identification, analysis and management of environmental and social risks related to their activities or projects. Banco Regional’s commitment to present and future generations encompasses sustainable development, support to conservation initiatives and environmental and social investments. This means not only respecting environmental and social considerations in lending activities, but also making available resources to promote environmental and social sustainability.
