EBRD provides fresh funds to EXIMBANK to support businesses in Moldova

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Moldova, by lending €10 million to EXIMBANK.

EXIMBANK will use the loan proceeds to increase its MSME lending activity and help expand its market reach. EXIMBANK has committed to on-lend at least 35 per cent of the EBRD’s loan to women-led MSMEs.

EXIMBANK has been an EBRD client since 2022 and is an active lender to MSMEs in Moldova. The bank’s strategy is focused on growing its lending activities in the retail, MSME and corporate segments; it is well positioned to do so thanks to its high levels of liquidity and capitalisation.

Catarina Bjorlin Hansen, EBRD Head of Moldova, said: “We are proud to continue our cooperation with EXIMBANK to further improve access to finance to Moldovan SMEs. EXIMBANK will on-lend EBRD funds to SMEs which have been negatively impacted by the energy crisis and Russia’s war on neighbouring Ukraine, boosting their financial resilience and supporting economic recovery in Moldova.”   

Vitalie Bucataru, First Deputy General Manager of EXIMBANK, commented: “As part of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, EXIMBANK reinforces its commitment to extending access to credit and financial instruments, and to supporting the sustainable development of the entrepreneurial system, being aware that its decisions have a significant impact on the community. Thanks to the partnership with the EBRD, we want to contribute to the development of the SME sector in Moldova, ensuring support for managing and overcoming the negative consequences of the recent socio-economic circumstances. We are convinced of the success of this project, from which the local sector of small and medium-sized businesses – especially those led by women – will benefit, as will the national economy in general as a result.”

Based in Chisinau and fully owned by Intesa Sanpaolo since 2018, EXIMBANK serves 36,000 retail and corporate clients through a network of 17 branches.

The EBRD is the leading institutional investor in Moldova. Since the start of its operations there, the Bank has invested more than €2 billion in 170 projects in the country’s financial, agribusiness, energy, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors.