(European Commisson, Brussels, 6 March 2023) The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, an amendment to an existing Italian guarantee scheme, including an up to €3 billion budget increase, for the reinsurance of natural gas and electricity trade credit risk in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. The amendment was approved based on Article 107(3)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (‘TFEU’), recognising that the EU economy is experiencing a serious disturbance. Under the administration of SACE, the Italian Export Credit Agency, the scheme ensures that trade credit insurance continues to be available to companies, avoiding the need for them to pay their energy bills in advance or within a few weeks, thus reducing their immediate liquidity needs. This measure will also make it easier for these customers to obtain a postponement of payment of their energy bills by up to 24 months, based on an agreement with their energy supplier. At the same time, it will ensure that trade credit insurance continues to be available to companies, avoiding the need for them to pay their energy bills in advance or within a few weeks, thus reducing their immediate liquidity needs. The reinsurance of natural gas and electricity trade credit risk was deemed necessary in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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New ECGC policies to support Indian Exporters: Economic Survey Report 2023
(Taxcan, New Delho, 1 February 2023) The Economic Survey Report 2023 points out the significance of new Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) policies to support Indian Exporters and the expectational changes by the 2023 Budget. The Export Credit Guarantee Corporation (ECGC) supports Indian exporters and banks by providing export credit insurance services. The new scheme launched in July 2022, under its ECIB products, has the enhancement of the mechanism of insurance cover to banks providing pre-shipment and post-shipment financeto 90 per cent from an average coverage of 70% for accounts with an export working capital limit of up to X20 crore to support small exporters. This framework could largely reduce the net demand for foreign exchange, the US dollar in particular, for the settlement of current account-related trade flows. Further, the use of INR in cross-border trade is expected to mitigate currency risk for Indian businesses. The Key aspect of this was that it could assist Indian exporters in getting advance payments in INR from overseas clients and in the longer term promote INR as an international currency once the rupee settlement mechanism gains traction.
India extends aid worth USD 3.9 billion to help Sri Lanka face economic crisis
(Asia News Initiative, New Delhi, 14 January 2023) India’s EXIM bank and State bank of India extended export credit facilities worth USD 1,500 million to Sri Lanka for the import of essential commodities. India has extended aid worth USD 3.9 billion to help Sri Lanka sustain itself in face of the acute economic and financial crisis and meet its immediate needs such as medicines, cooking gas, oil and food items, Sri Lanka based news publication News 19 reported. In February 2022, India signed an agreement for the supply of petroleum products worth USD 500 million from the Indian Oil Company through a credit line in order to help Sri Lanka overcome its fuel shortage. This was expanded by an additional USD 200 million worth of petroleum products in April 2022.
Public Financing as a Critical Path Forward to a Just Energy Transition in Africa
(Engineering News, Johannesburg 12 January 2023) The path to decarbonizing the energy sector is not a “one-size-fits-all” between developed and developing markets. Given the historical strain between developed economies (which modernized with fossil fuels) and developing economies (now being asked to forgo this route), it is evident that sustainable, long-term global cooperation and energy security will be required to address the need for Africans to have access to sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy. If we truly want to increase electrification in developing countries in Africa and help provide reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy, policy makers and financial institutions must partner with project sponsors to tailor capital solutions that best fit the region and its countries. ECAs and DFIs along with commercial banks and other multilaterals play a critical role in enabling access to the capital required to deliver a more just and equitable energy transition today and for future generations. In a recent opinion piece, Jonathan Bell, Editor in Chief of TFX News asks “When will sub-Saharan Africa be able to properly see the light?’ and addresses “the jokers that think such countries ought to be moving straight to renewables – they need to ask how could they pay for such projects, and how could any related debt be repaid?” With respect to the Friends of the Earth opposition to the Mozambique LNG project he argues that “some of [those] volumes to be exported were destined to be used in power generation to replace coal and oil generators – a move which would lower carbon emissions globally.” [What’s New Editorial comment: Given that northern industrial development was largely financed on the backs of African slaves, one could also ask why we must hold back on tightening our own belts and coming up with the admittedly huge means to pay for their carbon free investments, in reparation for what we got from Africa, instead of begging for the delay of a long overdue “just” transition to keep ourselves warm.]
Mexico Expects State Oil Giant Pemex to Pay Its Debt Without Government Help
(Yahoo News, Mexico, 3 January 2023) Mexico’s Finance Ministry expects Petroleos Mexicanos to pay debt coming due in the first quarter without government help. Refinancing debt could include but won’t be limited to bank loans, bond issuance, direct financing or financing guaranteed by export credit agencies. After providing the oil company with financial support in recent years, the Finance Ministry now wants Pemex to foot the bill itself unless it doesn’t have enough cash to do so by the end of the quarter… Pemex is the world’s most indebted oil major, with financial obligations of $105 billion by September 2022. It is under enormous financial strain as the Mexican government wants it to halt oil exports and invest in loss-making refineries — all of which while the company fails to stem long-term production declines. Mexico’s oil driller has 188 billion pesos in amortizations due in 2023 and must maintain zero net indebtedness in real terms, it said in its annual financing plan.
Trade Finance In Wartime
(Global Finance, New York, 3 January 2023) According to the World Bank, Ukraine’s GDP over 2022 will have contracted by some 35%. Further decline is expected for 2023, as the full economic implications of Russia’s war become clear. The huge drop-off in trade has of course severely impacted trade finance. Many of the correspondent banks that used to do regular business pulled away, while long-term financing projects have been pretty much shelved across the board. ECA coverage is scarce in the extreme. In many cross-border transactions, cash is king. The international media has rightly focused on the huge disruptions to supply lines, including shipments of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports, and Russian targeting of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has cast much of the population into freezing darkness and has massively disrupted business. With foreign banks and customers understandably jittery, the role of international financial institutions like the International Finance Corporation in guaranteeing transactions has been key. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has firmly committed to supporting Ukraine. Ukrexim’s Shchur echoes this, “At such a fateful time, we really want to encourage prominent foreign banks and ECAs to become more actively involved in trade finance operations here.
There’s no time to waste — public capital is a key conduit to a just transition
(Atlantic Council, Washington, 8 November 2022) It is abundantly clear that achieving net-zero carbon emissions by mid-century is necessary to avoid the worst climate outcomes. However, the path to decarbonizing the energy sector is not “one-size-fits-all” between developed and developing markets.Looking at the future energy mix globally, new renewables capacity will dominate with developing countries representing more than half of new capacity investment, driven primarily by China and India. Public capital plays an essential role in accelerating energy infrastructure projects in both developed and developing markets. Governmental organizations such as export credit agencies (ECAs) and development finance institutions (DFIs) provide essential liquidity tools, risk management expertise, and credit support that enables meaningful private sector investment.
UKEF to offer ECA support for most vulnerable climate change countries
(Reuters, London, 8 November 2022) Britain plans to offer new loans to support countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including the option to defer debt repayments in the event of catastrophes, the finance ministry said on Tuesday. The country’s export credit agency, UK Export Finance (UKEF), will provide such loans to low-income countries and small island developing states. Details of the plans will be given at the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. The proposals would allow vulnerable countries to defer debt repayments to free up resources to fund disaster relief, the ministry said. Reuters has noted that promises by companies, banks and cities to achieve net-zero emissions often amount to little more than greenwashing according to the UN as it set out proposed new standards to harden net-zero claims. With the world in the midst of the first global energy crisis – triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – the IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2022 (WEO) provides indispensable analysis and insights on the implications of this profound and ongoing shock across the globe.
Ukraine seeks $400 billion for foreign investment & export credit
(Pipa News, Pakistan,7 September 2022) Ukraine has begun attracting foreign investment of up to $400 billion in projects across the economy, even as it faces a protracted war with Russia and a slump in production. The Kiev government has identified hundreds of technology, agribusiness, clean energy, defense, metallurgy and natural resources initiatives that it hopes will attract international investors, backed by loan guarantees and insurance from Western donors. Ukrainian officials recognize that Western investors need protection. They want access to World Bank war risk insurance products and Western export credit institutions to provide guarantees.
Sri Lanka’s Chinese debt making international headlines
(The Island, Colombo, 9 September 2022) Sri Lanka’s debt to China is making headlines in international and local media again. Media reports partly blame China and its lending practices, for Sri Lanka’s debt crisis, says a Verité Research media release. It said: The publication titled: “The Lure of Chinese Loans: Sri Lanka’s experiment with a special framework to finance its infrastructure” sheds light on the perils of creating frameworks to facilitate deviations from competitive bidding to tap into concessional export credit from emerging economies such as China. The report analyses the design and execution of the special framework and finds that the lack of rigour in the evaluation process and the ability of decision-makers to exercise excessive discretion made the framework highly prone to abuse and misuse.
