HomeCirculars › RBI/2007-2008/117

Exim Bank USD 5 mn LOC to Eastern African Development Bank

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/117 · issued 17 Aug 2007 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks of Exim Bank's USD 5 million line of credit to EADB for financing Indian exports to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. Key dates: LOC effective June 26, 2007; L/Cs by June 25, 2009; disbursements by December 25, 2009. Agency commission capped at 5% for after-sales service exports.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore receives a call from an exporter who wants to sell machinery to a buyer in Uganda under this Exim Bank line of credit. The officer checks the dates: the letter of credit must be opened before June 25, 2009, and the shipment must be declared on a GR/SDF form. Since the machinery needs after-sales service, the officer advises the exporter to get RBI approval first for a 5% commission, and reminds them that Exim Bank will reimburse only 90% of the invoice value.

What changed

RBI circular informs AD Category-I banks about a new line of credit (LOC) of USD 5 million from Exim Bank to the Eastern African Development Bank (EADB), Kampala, Uganda. The LOC, effective June 26, 2007, supports Indian exports of eligible goods and services to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania under India's Foreign Trade Policy. It sets terminal dates for opening letters of credit (June 25, 2009) and disbursements (December 25, 2009).

What it means for you

Banks can now facilitate export transactions under this LOC, ensuring compliance with GR/SDF form declarations and agency commission rules. For exports requiring after-sales service, agency commission up to 5% of f.o.b. value is allowed with prior RBI approval, and Exim Bank reimburses 90% of f.o.b./c.f.r./c.i.f. value. For other exports, commission must be paid from exporter's own resources or EEFC account after full payment realization.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks handling export transactions, Exporters of eligible goods and services to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, Exim Bank and its negotiating banks

❓ 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 purpose of this USD 5 million line of credit?

It finances Indian exports of eligible equipment, goods, and services to member countries of the Eastern African Development Bank (Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania) under India's Foreign Trade Policy.

Can agency commission be paid for exports under this LOC?

Generally no, except for exports requiring after-sales service. In such cases, commission up to 5% of f.o.b. value is allowed with prior RBI approval, and Exim Bank reimburses 90% of the invoice value.

What are the key deadlines for this LOC?

Letters of credit must be opened by June 25, 2009, and disbursements completed by December 25, 2009. The LOC became effective on June 26, 2007.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2007-2008/117 A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 06 August  17, 2007 To All Category - I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam / Sir, Exim Bank's Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 5 million to the Eastern African Development Bank, Kampala, Uganda Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has concluded an agreement dated November 24, 2005 with the Eastern African Development Bank (EADB), Kampala, Uganda, making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 5 million (USD Five million only) for financing exports from India of equipment, eligible goods and services, which are eligible for export under the Foreign Trade Policy of the Government of India and whose purchase may be agreed to be financed by Exim Bank under this agreement to member countries viz Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.  2. The Credit Agreement under the LOC is effective from June 26, 2007. Under the LOC, the terminal date for opening Letters of Credit will be June 25, 2009 (24 months from the effective date) and the terminal date for disbursements will be December 25,2009 (30 months from the effective date). 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. While no agency commission shall be payable in respect of exports financed under the above line of credit, Reserve Bank may consider, on merit, requests for payment of commission up to a maximum extent of 5 per cent of the f.o.b. value in respect of goods exported and which require after sales service. In such cases, commission will have to be paid by deduction from the invoice of relevant shipment to the agents in member countries of EADB (Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania) and the reimbursable amount by the Exim Bank to the negotiating bank will be 90 per cent of the f.o.b./ c.f.r. / c.i.f. value. Approval for the payment of commission should be obtained before the relevant shipment is effected. In other cases (i.e. exports not involving after sales service), if the exporter is required to pay agency commission, he may use his own resources or utilize the balance in his EEFC account for such payments 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 with the 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) C hief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/117 · issued 17 Aug 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 handling export transactions, Exporters of eligible goods and services to Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, Exim Bank and its negotiating banks), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank USD 5 mn LOC to Eastern African Development Bank” is: “Inform exporter customers about the LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.” (RBI issued this 17 Aug 2007).

  1. Circular: RBI/2007-2008/117 -- Exim Bank USD 5 mn LOC to Eastern African Development Bank
  2. Issued: 17 Aug 2007
  3. Action required: Inform exporter customers about the LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
  4. Action required: Ensure all shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
  5. Action required: Verify that no agency commission is paid for exports under this LOC unless prior RBI approval is obtained for after-sales service cases.
  6. Action required: For after-sales service exports, allow commission up to 5% f.o.b. only after RBI approval and ensure Exim Bank reimbursement is 90% of invoice value.
  7. Action required: For other commission payments, allow remittance from exporter's EEFC account or own resources only after full contract value realization.
  8. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  9. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  10. 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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Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=3783&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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