Exim Bank's $10.4M Line of Credit to Suriname for Water Project
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/269 · issued 31 Mar 2008 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks of Exim Bank's USD 10.4 million Line of Credit to the Government of Suriname for financing Indian goods and services for a Water Supply Project. At least 85% of contract value must be sourced from India. Banks must facilitate GR/SDF declarations and handle commission remittances per FEMA rules.
The rule, in the simplest words
Exim Bank gave a loan of $10.4 million to the government of Suriname for a water project.
At least 85% of the project's goods and services must come from India.
Banks must use GR/SDF forms (special export paperwork) for shipments under this loan.
No agency commission (payment to a middleman) is allowed from the loan money; if needed, the exporter must pay from their own foreign currency account after getting full payment.
The last date to open letters of credit (bank promises to pay) is 48 months after the project finishes or 72 months from the loan agreement date.
How it plays out — a real example
A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore helps an exporter client who wants to sell water pipes to Suriname under this loan. The officer checks that the contract value is at least 85% from India, then fills out the GR form for the shipment and reminds the exporter that any middleman commission must be paid from their own foreign currency account only after the full payment is received.
What changed
Exim Bank signed a Line of Credit agreement with the Government of Suriname on November 21, 2007, effective February 13, 2008, for USD 10.4 million. The credit supports a Water Supply Project, requiring at least 85% of goods and services from India. Last dates for L/C opening and disbursement are 48 months from project completion or 72 months from agreement execution for supply contracts.
What it means for you
Indian exporters now have a government-backed financing route for exports to Suriname, reducing payment risk. AD Category-I banks must ensure compliance with FEMA guidelines for GR/SDF forms and agency commission remittances. This strengthens India's export credit framework and supports infrastructure projects abroad.
What you must do
Inform exporter clients about the LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
Ensure shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
Allow agency commission remittances only after full contract value realization and compliance with prevailing rules.
Verify that at least 85% of contract value is sourced from India for eligible contracts.
Who it affects
AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods and services to Suriname, Exim Bank
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Stated effective dateeffective February 13, 2008
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 14:24 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
What is the minimum Indian content required under this Line of Credit?
At least 85% of the contract price must be supplied by the seller from India. The remaining goods and services (excluding consultancy) may be procured from outside India.
What are the deadlines for opening Letters of Credit and disbursement?
For project exports, the last date is 48 months from the scheduled completion date of the contract. For supply contracts, it is 72 months from the execution date of the Credit Agreement (November 21, 2007).
Can exporters pay agency commission under this LOC?
No agency commission is payable under the LOC. However, exporters may use their own resources or EEFC balances to pay commission in free foreign exchange after full contract value realization, subject to RBI guidelines.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2007-2008/269
A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 33
March 31, 2008
To
All Category - I Authorised Dealer Banks
Madam / Sir,
Exim Bank's Line of Credit of USD 10.4 million to
the Government of Suriname
Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has concluded an Agreement dated November 21, 2007 with the Government of Suriname, making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 10.4 million (USD Ten million four hundred thousand) for financing eligible goods and services including consultancy services from India for the Water Supply Project in Suriname. The goods and services, including consultancy services from India, for exports under this Agreement are those 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 the Exim Bank under this Agreement. Out of the total credit by Exim Bank under this Agreement, the goods and services of the value of at least 85 per cent of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India, and the remaining goods and services (other than consultancy services) may be procured by the seller for the purpose of Eligible Contract from outside India.
2. The Credit Agreement under the LOC is effective from February 13, 2008 and date of execution of Agreement is November 21, 2007. Under the LOC, the last date for opening of Letters of Credit and Disbursement will be 48 months from the scheduled completion date(s) of contract(s) in case of project exports and 72 months from the execution date of the Credit Agreement in case of supply contracts.
3. Shipments under the LOC will have to be declared on GR / SDF Forms as per instructions issued by Reserve Bank from time to time.
4. No agency commission is payable under the above LOC. However, if required, the exporter may use his own resources or utilize balances of his Exchange Earners’ Foreign Currency Account for payment of commission in free foreign exchange. Authorised Dealer Category - l (AD Category - l) banks may allow such remittance after realization of full payment of contract value subject to compliance with the prevailing instructions for 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 or log on to www. eximbankindia. in.
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 are 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/2007-2008/269 · issued 31 Mar 2008. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods and services to Suriname, Exim Bank), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's $10.4M Line of Credit to Suriname for Water Project” is: “Inform exporter clients about the LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.” (RBI issued this 31 Mar 2008).
Circular: RBI/2007-2008/269 -- Exim Bank's $10.4M Line of Credit to Suriname for Water Project
Issued: 31 Mar 2008
Action required: Inform exporter clients about the LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
Action required: Ensure shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
Action required: Allow agency commission remittances only after full contract value realization and compliance with prevailing rules.
Action required: Verify that at least 85% of contract value is sourced from India for eligible contracts.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
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.
💬 Banker Discussion
Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.
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=4089&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.
Help us keep this accurate
Found an inaccuracy or have an improvement? Tell us. Every report is reviewed by our team before any change is made — nothing goes live unverified.
Public beta — plain-English informational summaries. Always verify against the official RBI source (circular number cited on every page) before making compliance, credit, treasury, audit, or operational decisions. · Join our WhatsApp channel ↗
BANKPULSE · FREE DAILY BRIEF
Get RBI updates for your role
Every important RBI update, decoded in plain English — for your career, exams & financial awareness.
We collect only your email, name and role, used solely to send your brief — never sold or shared. Withdraw anytime via the unsubscribe link in any email. Independent platform, not affiliated with the RBI. Information, not legal advice.
REPORT AN ERROR · BETA
Spotted an error? Earn 500 BankPulse Credits
Help us stay accurate. If your correction is verified true and approved by our founder, you earn 500 BankPulse Credits — redeemable when the platform monetises.
Reviewed by a human before any credit is awarded. We never change the site from crowd input without verification.
WANT A NEW FEATURE · BETA
What would make BankPulse more useful for you?
Tell us what to build next — a tool, a data view, a role page, anything. We read every suggestion.
Thank you — your ideas directly shape what we build.