The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and British International Investment (BII) are providing a $100 million subordinated loan to Banque du Caire, Egypt's third largest public banks. The loan is aimed at strengthening Banque du Caire's Tier II capital, supporting its growth plans and optimising its capital structure. Providing long-term, Tier II funding will speed up Banque du Caire's ambitious growth plans, increasing its capital and guaranteeing the availability of much-needed funds to enhance the bank's growth within various sectors of the market. With one of Egypt's largest branch networks of 248 branches nationwide, a market-leading position in microfinance, and a strategic push towards digital distribution channels, Banque du Caire is well placed to serve market segments that are critical for advancing financial inclusion in the North African country. As part of the cooperation, the EBRD is set to support Banque du Caire in implementing a corporate climate governance action plan (CCGAP), helping integrate climate change considerations into the bank's corporate practices in accordance with the principles of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. In addition, BII will play an integral role in shaping Banque du Caire's strategy and organisational culture by providing guidance on the management of environmental and social (E&S) risk. The move aims to support Banque du Caire in managing such risks in its business operations. This will help promote the bank's reputation and improve its prospects of accessing more foreign capital to support sustained growth. "The EBRD has a longstanding commitment to Egypt and its financial sector. This project deepens our partnership with Banque du Caire, building on our successful cooperation in trade and inclusion." Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director for Financial Institutions, said. "We are delighted to develop it together with BII, to support the bank's capital and resilience and to help Banque du Caire strengthen its corporate practices and become more resilient to the impacts of climate change." Malige added. Sherine Shohdy, BII Head of Office and Coverage Director, Egypt stated: "Strong and resilient financial institutions play a crucial role in fostering productive private sectors and robust economies." "Our partnership with the EBRD aims to strengthen Banque du Caire's capacity to support businesses that drive Egypt's economic growth. BII will also offer its expertise on E&S to help Banque du Caire define a strategy and culture that will enhance the bank's resilience, help attract more capital and create productive and inclusive opportunities for businesses, employees and households across Egypt for the long term." Moreover, Tarek Fayed, Banque du Caire's chairman and CEO said the bank "spares no effort to accelerate the pace of transformation towards a green economy and to achieve Egypt's 2030 vision." "We are proud of the strategic partnership with the EBRD and BII, reflecting the confidence of multilateral financial institutions in Banque du Caire's vision for the future." Banque du Caire pays great attention to MSMEs based on the bank's leadership position in this field, Fayed added. This cooperation aims to inject more financing to support these sectors and support the bank's ambitious plans in the field of climate change, which effectively contributes to achieving inclusive and sustainable economic growth, he noted.
