Export Credit of US$34.54mn to Niger for Setting up of Solar Electrification and Solar Photovoltaic System

[RBI Circular No. 82 dated 9^th March 2015]

Sub: Exim Bank's Line of Credit of USD 34.54 million to the Government of the Republic of Niger

Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has entered into an Agreement dated September 12, 2013 with the Government of the Republic of Niger for making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 34.54 million (USD Thirty Four Million and Five Hundred and Forty Thousand) for financing solar electrification of 30 villages (USD 9.84 million) and for setting up of solar photo voltaic system of 5 Megawatt (USD 24.70 million) in the Republic of Niger. The goods, machinery, equipment and services including consultancy services from India for exports under this Agreement are those which are eligible for export under the Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India and whose purchase may be agreed to be financed by the Exim Bank under this Agreement. Out of the total credit by Exim Bank under this Agreement, the goods and services including consultancy services of the value of at least 75 per cent of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India and the remaining 25 percent goods and services may be procured by the seller for the purpose of eligible contract from outside India.

2. The Credit Agreement under the LOC is effective from February 18, 2015. Under the LOC, the last date for opening of letters of credit and disbursement will be 48 months from the scheduled completion date of contract in the case of project exports and 72 months (September 11, 2019) from the execution date of the Credit Agreement in the case of supply contracts.

3. Shipments under the LOC will have to be declared on EDF/ SDF Forms as per instructions issued by the Reserve Bank from time to time.

4. No agency commission is payable under the above LOC. However, if required, the exporter may use his own resources or utilize balances in his Exchange Earners’ Foreign Currency Account for payment of commission in free foreign exchange. Authorised Dealer Category- l (AD Category-l) banks may allow such remittance after realization of full payment of contract value subject to compliance with the prevailing instructions for payment of agency commission.

5. AD Category-I banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their exporter constituents and advise them to obtain full details of the Line of Credit from the Exim Bank’s office at Centre One, Floor 21, World Trade Centre Complex, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005 or log on to www.eximbankindia.in.

6. The Directions contained in this circular have been issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 (42 of 1999) and are without prejudice to permissions / approvals, if any, required under any other law.