HomeCirculars › RBI/2009-10/469

Exim Bank's $30 mn LOC to Sierra Leone: Key Details

Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/469 · issued 18 May 2010 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks about Exim Bank's USD 30 million Line of Credit to Sierra Leone for water projects. At least 85% of contract value must be sourced from India. Last LC/disbursement dates vary by contract type.
The rule, in the simplest words
How it plays out — a real example

Priya, an export‑finance officer at an AD Category‑I bank in Mumbai, gets a request from an Indian pipe maker who wants to supply piping for the Lungi International Airport water project. She checks that at least 85% of the contract value is for Indian-made pipes, confirms that no commission will be taken from the LOC and that any commission will be paid later from the exporter’s own funds, records the shipment on the required GR form, and reminds the exporter to open the Letter of Credit before the 48‑month deadline. She does this with a friendly tone, assuring the exporter that the process is smooth and supportive.

What changed

Exim Bank signed a Line of Credit agreement with Sierra Leone on February 19, 2010, effective April 7, 2010, for USD 30 million. The credit will fund rehabilitation and new potable water infrastructure at six locations, plus consultancy services from India.

What it means for you

Indian exporters can now bid for these water projects with assured financing from Exim Bank. Banks must ensure that at least 85% of goods/services are Indian-origin and that no agency commission is paid from the LOC proceeds. Remittances for commission, if any, must come from exporter's own resources or EEFC account after full payment realization.

What you must do

Who it affects

AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods and services, 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 purpose of this USD 30 million Line of Credit?

It is for financing rehabilitation of six potable water projects in Sierra Leone, including at Lungi International Airport and several communities, plus consultancy services from India.

What are the sourcing requirements for exporters under this LOC?

At least 85% of the contract price must be supplied from India. The remaining 15% (excluding consultancy) can be procured from outside India.

Can agency commission be paid from the LOC funds?

No. No agency commission is payable under this LOC. If needed, the exporter must use own resources or EEFC account, and AD banks can allow remittance only after full contract value is realized.

📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2009-10/469 A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No.53 May 18, 2010 To All Category - I Authorised Dealer Banks Madam / Sir, Exim Bank's Line of Credit of USD 30 million to the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has concluded an Agreement dated February 19, 2010 with the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 30 million (USD Thirty million) for financing eligible goods and services including machinery and equipment for the purpose of financing rehabilitation of six potable water projects which includes rehabilitation of existing facilities and addition of new infrastructure to supply potable water to Lungi International Airport, Kailahun District, White Water Community-Freetown, Allen Town Community-Freetown, Wellington-Freetown and Tender Hill Community –Freetown, and consultancy services from India. 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 15 per cent 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 April 07, 2010 and date of execution of Agreement is February 19, 2010. 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 (February 18, 2016) 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, ( G. Jaganmohan Rao) Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2009-10/469 · issued 18 May 2010. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
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Worked example & action-note template

Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (AD Category-I banks, Indian exporters of goods and services, Exim Bank), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's $30 mn LOC to Sierra Leone: Key Details” is: “Inform exporter customers about this LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.” (RBI issued this 18 May 2010).

  1. Circular: RBI/2009-10/469 -- Exim Bank's $30 mn LOC to Sierra Leone: Key Details
  2. Issued: 18 May 2010
  3. Action required: Inform exporter customers about this LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
  4. Action required: Ensure shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF Forms as per extant RBI instructions.
  5. Action required: Verify that at least 85% of contract value is sourced from India before processing payments.
  6. Action required: Do not allow agency commission payments from LOC proceeds; only permit from exporter's own resources after full contract value realization.
  7. Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
  8. Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
  9. 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=5685&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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