HomeCirculars › RBI/2005-06/335

Exim Bank's $33.5 Million Line of Credit to DR Congo

No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2005-06/335 · issued 24 Mar 2006 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notified that Exim Bank has extended a US$ 33.5 million Line of Credit to DR Congo for financing Indian exports of buses, mining equipment, and cement plant services. Authorised dealers must ensure GR/SDF form declarations and no agency commission is payable under this credit.

What changed

Exim Bank signed a Line of Credit agreement with DR Congo for up to USD 33.5 million, effective February 20, 2006. The credit covers specific exports: 228 buses (USD 12.5 mn), MIBA equipment (USD 2 mn), cement factory setup (USD 13 mn), and mine rehabilitation (USD 6 mn). Terminal utilization is 48 months for project exports and 72 months for other supply contracts from respective start dates.

What it means for you

Banks must treat this as a government-backed export credit facility, requiring strict adherence to FEMA guidelines. No agency commission is allowed under this LOC, but exporters can use own resources or EEFC balances for commission in free foreign exchange after full contract value realisation. This expands financing options for Indian exporters targeting DR Congo.

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

Who it affects

Authorised Dealer banks handling foreign exchange, Indian exporters to DR Congo, Exim Bank

❓ Common questions

Regulatory timeline

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 33.5 million, effective from February 20, 2006.

Can exporters pay agency commission under this credit?

No agency commission is payable under this line of credit. However, exporters may use their own resources or EEFC account balances to pay commission in free foreign exchange after full contract value realisation.

What are the terminal utilization periods?

For project exports, the terminal utilization period is 48 months from the scheduled completion date of the contract. For other supply contracts, it is 72 months from the date of execution of the agreement, i.e., August 23, 2011.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2005-06/335 A.P.(DIR Series) Circular No. 28 March 24, 2006 To, All Banks Authorised to Deal in Foreign Exchange Madam / Sir, Exim Bank’s Line of Credit of US$ 33.5 Million to the Government of Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has concluded an agreement with the Government of Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) making available to the latter a Line of Credit (LOC) upto an aggregate sum of USD 33.5 million (US Dollar Thirty three million five hundred thousand only). The credit agreement has become effective on February 20, 2006. The credit is available for financing export from India, of 228 Buses (US$ 12.5 mn), equipments for Miniere de Bakwanga (MIBA) (US$ 2 mn) and other equipment, goods and services including consultancy services for setting up a cement factory (US$13 mn) and rehabilitation of mine in Idsenge Manganse (US$ 6 mn), in Congo, which are eligible for export under the Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India. Full details of the Line of Credit are available at the Exim Bank’s office or its website ( www.eximbankindia.com ) 2. The terminal utilization period is 48 months from scheduled completion date of contract in case of project exports and 72 months from the date of execution of the Agreement i.e. August 23, 2011 in case of other supply contracts. 3 Shipments under the credit will have to be declared on GR/SDF Forms as per instructions issued from time to time. 4. No agency commission is payable under the above line of credit. However, if required the exporter may use his own resources or utilize balances in his EEFC account for payment of commission in free foreign exchange. Authorised Dealer banks may allow such remittance after realisation of full payment of contract value subject to compliance of prevailing instructions on payment of agency commission. 5. Authorised Dealer banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their exporter constituents. 6. The directions contained in this circular have been issued under Section 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 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/2005-06/335 · issued 24 Mar 2006. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=2792&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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