No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-06/333 · issued 24 Mar 2006 · ~1 min read
Quick answerRBI notified a USD 5 million Exim Bank line of credit to PTA Bank for financing Indian exports to 17 Eastern/Southern African nations. AD banks must facilitate LCs, disbursements by Feb 2008, and handle agency commission payments under FEMA rules.
What changed
Exim Bank signed a credit agreement with PTA Bank effective February 17, 2006, for a USD 5 million line of credit. This facility supports Indian exports of eligible goods and services to 17 member countries of PTA Bank in Eastern and Southern Africa.
What it means for you
Banks can now process letters of credit and disbursements under this LOC until the specified deadlines. Exporters can use EEFC balances for agency commission, but no reimbursement from Exim Bank for such commissions; RBI approval is needed for commissions above 5% of invoice value.
Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.
What banks were required to do at the time
Inform exporter constituents about the LOC terms and eligible countries.
Ensure LCs are opened by August 16, 2007, and disbursements completed by February 16, 2008.
Verify GR/SDF form declarations for shipments under this credit.
Handle agency commission remittances only after full contract value realization and per prevailing RBI instructions.
Refer exporters to Exim Bank for full LOC details.
Who it affects
Authorised Dealer banks handling foreign exchange, Indian exporters to PTA Bank member countries, Exim Bank and its negotiating banks
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Stated effective dateeffective February 17, 2006
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 18:56 IST
Status change: withdrawn09 Jul 2026, 04:06 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
What is the total amount of this line of credit?
The line of credit is for an aggregate sum of USD 5 million, made available by Exim Bank to PTA Bank.
Which countries are eligible for financing under this LOC?
The 17 eligible countries are Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Can exporters claim reimbursement for agency commission from Exim Bank?
No, Exim Bank will not reimburse any agency commission paid by exporters. Such payments must be made from the exporter's own resources or EEFC account.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2005-06/333
A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 26
March 24, 2006
To,
All Banks Authorised to deal in Foreign Exchange
Madam / Sir,
Exim Bank's Line of Credit of USD 5 Million
to Eastern and Southern African Trade & Development Bank (PTA)Bank
The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank)
has concluded an agreement with the Eastern and Southern African Trade &
Development Bank (PTA Bank) making available to the latter a Line of Credit
(LOC) upto an aggregate sum of USD 5 Million (US Dollar Five Million only).
The credit agreement has become effective on February 17, 2006.
2. The credit is available for financing
export of eligible goods and services from India under the "Foreign Trade
Policy" of the Government of India to 17 member countries of PTA Bank viz.
Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius,
Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe
in Eastern and Southern Africa. Full details of the Line of Credit are available
at Exim Bank’s office or it’s website ( www.eximindia.com ).
3. The last dates for opening letters of
credit and disbursement of credit are August 16, 2007 and February 16, 2008,
respectively.
4. Shipments under the credit will have to
be declared on GR / SDF Forms as per instructions issued from time to time.
5. Exporters can either use their own resources
or utilise the balances in their EEFC account for payment of agency commission
in free foreign exchange, for export of goods under the LOC. However, no reimbursement
will be available to the exporter from Exim Bank for payment of agency commission
under the LOC. Authorised Dealer banks may allow remittance towards agency commission
after realisation of full payment of contract value subject to compliance of
prevailing instructions on payment of agency commission.
In addition, Reserve Bank may, on merit, consider
requests for payment of commission upto a maximum limit of 5 per cent of the
f.o.b./ c&f / c.i.f. value in respect of goods exported which require
after sales service . In such cases, commission will have to be paid in member
countries of PTA Bank only, by deduction from the invoice of the relevant shipment
and the reimbursable amount by the Exim Bank to the negotiating bank will be
90 per cent of the f.o.b./ c&f / c.i.f. value minus commission paid. Approval
of Reserve Bank of India for such payment of commission should be obtained before
the relevant shipment is effected.
6. Authorised Dealer banks may bring the
contents of this circular to the notice of their exporter constituents.
7. 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 is without prejudice to permissions / approvals,
if any, required under any other law.
Yours faithfully,
Vinay Baijal
Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-06/333 · issued 24 Mar 2006. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=2790&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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