Bank CenterCredit receives further US$ 60 million funding from EBRD in support of green lending in Kazakhstan

Bank CenterCredit receives further US$ 60 million funding from EBRD in support of green lending in Kazakhstan

• EBRD extends US$ 60 million financing package to Bank CenterCredit
• Funds to promote green and small business lending
• Latest project under the EBRD’s GEFF

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 30-Jun-2022 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a multilateral developmental investment bank, has announced that it will provide further US$ 60 million in funding to Bank CenterCredit (BCC), one of Kazakhstan‘s largest lenders, in support of green lending in the country.

It will consist of a local currency loan of up to US$ 20 million equivalent under the EBRD’s Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF), designed to support domestic businesses ready to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation technologies and services. The financing will be supported by grant funding from the Climate Investment Funds.

The remaining US$ 40 million (in local currency equivalent) will be provided for further on-lending to domestic micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The funds will help them to cope with the after-effects of the pandemic and will provide sustainable long-term financing for the economy of Kazakhstan. The loan will be supported by grant funds from the EU Investment Facility for Central Asia under the Regional Small Business Programme for Central Asia.

The GEFF programme is part of the EBRD’s Green Economy Transition (GET) approach, through which the EBRD aims to become a majority green bank by 2025. The programme operates through a network of more than 145 local financial institutions across 27 countries, supported by more than €4.6 billion of EBRD financing for 190,000 clients to date. These projects have led to annual CO₂ emission reductions of more than 8.6 million tonnes so far.

In 2022 the EBRD marks 30 years since Kazakhstan joined the Bank. With more than US$ 10.3 billion invested in the country to date, this is the largest and longest-running uninterrupted banking operation of the EBRD in Central Asia.

Media contact:

Tel: +44 207 338 7805
Email: press@ebrd.com

SOURCE: EBRD