Exim Bank's USD 70 Million Line of Credit to Republic of Congo
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/532 · issued 04 May 2012 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI notifies AD Category-I banks about Exim Bank's USD 70 million Line of Credit to the Republic of Congo for a rural electrification project. At least 75% of contract value must be sourced from India. Disbursement timelines and commission rules are specified.
The rule, in the simplest words
Exim Bank gave a loan of 70 million US dollars to the Republic of Congo for a rural electricity project.
At least 75% of the project's goods and services must come from India; up to 25% can be bought from other countries.
Exporters must fill out GR/SDF forms (special export paperwork) for every shipment under this loan.
No commission (extra payment to agents) can be paid from the loan money; if needed, exporters must use their own money or foreign currency account after getting full payment.
The loan started on March 28, 2012, and shipments must be completed within 48 or 72 months depending on the contract type.
How it plays out — a real example
A forex & trade-finance officer in Indore helps an exporter client who wants to supply electrical cables for the Congo rural electrification project. The officer reminds the exporter that 75% of the cable value must come from Indian factories, and that no commission can be taken from the Exim Bank loan proceeds. The officer also ensures the exporter fills out the GR form correctly before shipping.
What changed
Exim Bank signed a Line of Credit agreement with the Government of the Republic of Congo on December 14, 2011, effective March 28, 2012, for USD 70 million. The credit is earmarked for financing eligible goods, services, machinery, and consultancy for a Rural Electrification Project. At least 75% of the contract price must be supplied from India, with up to 25% procured from outside India.
What it means for you
Indian exporters can now tap this LOC to supply to the Congo rural electrification project, with assured payment from Exim Bank. Banks must ensure that shipments are declared on GR/SDF forms and that no agency commission is paid from the LOC proceeds. The 75% local sourcing rule boosts Indian exports, but exporters need to comply with FEMA and Foreign Trade Policy.
What you must do
Inform exporter clients about this LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
Ensure all shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
Do not allow agency commission payments from LOC proceeds; remit only from exporter's own resources or EEFC after full contract realization.
Verify that at least 75% of contract value is sourced from India for each eligible contract.
Who it affects
AD Category-I banks handling export transactions, Indian exporters of goods, services, machinery, and consultancy, Exim Bank
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Stated effective dateeffective March 28, 2012
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-18 20:36 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
What is the last date for opening Letters of Credit under this LOC?
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 (December 14, 2011), i.e., December 13, 2017.
Can we pay agency commission from the LOC proceeds?
No, agency commission is not payable under this LOC. However, exporters may use their own resources or EEFC balances to pay commission in free foreign exchange after full contract value realization.
What is the minimum Indian content requirement for contracts under this LOC?
At least 75% of the contract price must be supplied from India. The remaining 25% (excluding consultancy) may be procured from outside India.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2011-12/532
A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No.115
May 04, 2012
To
All Category - I Authorised Dealer Banks
Madam / Sir,
Exim Bank's Line of Credit of USD 70 million
to the Government of the Republic of Congo
Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has concluded an Agreement dated December 14, 2011 with the Government of the Republic of Congo , making available to the latter, a Line of Credit (LOC) of USD 70 million (USD seventy million) for financing eligible goods, services, machinery and equipments including consultancy services for the purpose of the Rural Electrification Project in the Republic of Congo. The machinery, equipment, 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 including consultancy services of the value of at least 75 per cent of the contract price shall be supplied by the seller from India and the remaining 25 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 March 28, 2012 and the date of execution of Agreement is December 14, 2011. 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 the case of project exports and 72 months (December 13, 2017) from the execution date of the Credit Agreement in the case of supply contracts.
3. Shipments under the LOC will have to be declared on GR / SDF Forms as per instructions issued by the 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 in 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 the 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,
(Rashmi Fauzdar)
Chief General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2011-12/532 · issued 04 May 2012. 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 handling export transactions, Indian exporters of goods, services, machinery, and consultancy, Exim Bank), your first concrete step on “Exim Bank's USD 70 Million Line of Credit to Republic of Congo” is: “Inform exporter clients about this LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.” (RBI issued this 04 May 2012).
Circular: RBI/2011-12/532 -- Exim Bank's USD 70 Million Line of Credit to Republic of Congo
Issued: 04 May 2012
Action required: Inform exporter clients about this LOC and direct them to Exim Bank for full details.
Action required: Ensure all shipments under this LOC are declared on GR/SDF forms as per RBI instructions.
Action required: Do not allow agency commission payments from LOC proceeds; remit only from exporter's own resources or EEFC after full contract realization.
Action required: Verify that at least 75% of contract value is sourced from India for each eligible contract.
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 03 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=7176&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.