HomeCirculars › RBI/2006-2007/309

Exim Bank's USD 25 mn Line of Credit to Guinea Bissau

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Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/309 · issued 05 Apr 2007 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks of Exim Bank's USD 25 million Line of Credit to Guinea Bissau for electricity, food processing, and other projects. Shipments must use GR/SDF forms; no agency commission is payable except via exporter's own resources or EEFC balances.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

An agri & priority-sector lending officer in Indore advises an exporter who wants to sell food-processing machines to Guinea Bissau under this loan. The officer reminds the exporter to use GR/SDF forms for the shipment and explains that no agency commission can be paid from the loan funds—if the exporter needs to pay a middleman, they must use their own savings or their EEFC account after getting full payment.

What changed

Exim Bank signed a credit agreement on January 13, 2007, with Guinea Bissau for a USD 25 million Line of Credit, effective March 15, 2007. The funds are allocated: USD 10 million for electricity, USD 5 million for food processing/agriculture, and USD 10 million for other projects approved by India/Exim Bank. Terminal utilisation is 48 months for project exports and 72 months (until January 12, 2013) for other supply contracts.

What it means for you

Banks must ensure exports under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms per RBI instructions. No agency commission is payable on these exports; if needed, exporters can use their own resources or EEFC accounts for commission in free foreign exchange after full payment realisation. AD Category-I banks should inform exporters and direct them to Exim Bank for details.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks, Exporters dealing with Guinea Bissau, 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 the Line of Credit and its purpose?

The LOC is USD 25 million, with USD 10 million for an electricity project, USD 5 million for food processing/agriculture, and USD 10 million for other projects agreed by India/Exim Bank.

Can exporters pay agency commission on these exports?

No, agency commission is not payable. Exporters may use their own resources or EEFC balances for commission in free foreign exchange only after full payment realisation.

What is the terminal utilisation period for this credit?

For project exports, 48 months from scheduled completion; for other supply contracts, 72 months from the credit agreement date, i.e., until January 12, 2013.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2006-2007/309 A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 35 April 05, 2007 To, All Category - I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam / Sir, Exim Bank's Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 25 million to the Government of the Republic of Guinea Bissau Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has concluded an agreement dated January 13, 2007 with Government of the Republic of Guinea Bissau, making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 25 million (USD Twenty five million only) for financing projects at Guinea Bissau viz. i) US $ 10 million for an electricity project, ii) US $ 5 million for the food processing / agricultural sector, and (iii) the balance amount of US $ 10 million for project(s) proposed by the Government of the Republic of Guinea Bissau and as may be agreed by Government of India / Exim Bank, and whose purchase may be agreed to be financed by Exim Bank under this Agreement to the extent of at least 85 per cent of the amount of the Credit and which are eligible for export under the Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India. 2.The Credit Agreement under the LOC is effective from March 15, 2007. Under the LOC, the terminal utilisation period will expire at the end of 48 months from the scheduled completion date(s) of contract(s) in case of project exports and January 12, 2013 (72 months from date of execution of Credit Agreement i. e. January 13, 2007) in case of other supply contracts. 3.Shipments under the credit will have to be declared on GR / SDF Forms as per instructions issued by Reserve Bank from time to time. 4.No agency commission shall be payable in respect of exports financed under the above line of credit. However, if required, the exporter may use his own resources or utilise balances of his EEFC account for payment of commission in free foreign exchange. Authorised Dealer Category - I (AD Category - I) 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. AD Category - I banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their exporter constituents and advise them to obtain full details of the Line of Credit from Exim Bank's office at Centre One, Floor 21, World Trade Centre Complex, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai 400 005. 6. 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, (Salim Gangadharan) Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2006-2007/309 · issued 05 Apr 2007. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
🧰 Tools — save, print, templates & related
Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (AD Category-I banks, Exporters dealing with Guinea Bissau, Exim Bank), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's USD 25 mn Line of Credit to Guinea Bissau” is: “Advise exporter constituents about this Line of Credit and direct them to Exim Bank's Mumbai office for full details.” (RBI issued this 05 Apr 2007).

  1. Circular: RBI/2006-2007/309 -- Exim Bank's USD 25 mn Line of Credit to Guinea Bissau
  2. Issued: 05 Apr 2007
  3. Action required: Advise exporter constituents about this Line of Credit and direct them to Exim Bank's Mumbai office for full details.
  4. Action required: Ensure all shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per prevailing RBI instructions.
  5. Action required: Do not allow agency commission payments on these exports; only permit remittance from exporter's own resources or EEFC after full contract value realisation.
  6. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  7. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  8. Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.

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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=3392&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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