By EBRD Press Office @ebrd
The EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP), the key supporter of international trade in the EBRD regions, has announced the winners of its annual TFP awards at the Bank’s 2022 Annual Meeting in Morocco.
With a record annual volume of more than €3.2 billion(US$3.4billion) in 2021, the TFP supported international trade via almost 2,000 transactions.
The TFP makes it easier for local companies to import equipment, raw materials and other goods necessary for their business by supporting local banks in their provision of trade finance.
Before the awards, at the TFP Information Session, discussions focused on the need to support international trade affected by Russia’s war on Ukraine; the development of trade finance in North Africa and the Middle East; and the importance of trade for low-carbon transition.
The event was opened by EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso, who stressed the importance of keeping global trade going.
“The Trade Facilitation Programme is well known for being a community built on close relationships and friendships. Forums such as these demonstrate how we stand united,” she said.
The awards were supported by the TaiwanBusiness-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund.
“The EBRD has done a great job in facilitating global trade through the TFP and, as quickly as it could, it responded to the fallout of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia,” said Representative Kelly Hsieh from the Taipei Office in the United Kingdom in a video message.
“As a longstanding partner of the EBRD we are pleased to have supported the TFP’s work.”
Awards for last year’s most active issuing banks and confirming bank were presented by Francis Malige, EBRD Managing Director for Financial Institutions.
Awards for 2021 winners
Most Active Issuing Bank in Albania
Banka OTP Albania SHA
Most Active Issuing Bank in Armenia
Armswissbank CJSC
Most Active Issuing Bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Raiffeisen Bank dd Bosnia I Hercegovina
Most Active Issuing Bank in Bulgaria
United Bulgarian Bank
Most Active Partner Bank in Croatia
Erste & Steiermärkische Bank dd
Most Active Issuing Bank in Egypt
Bank Audi SAE
Most Active Issuing Bank in Egypt
Qatar National Bank Alahli
Most Active Issuing Bank in Georgia
TBC Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in Greece
Piraeus Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in Jordan
Bank al Etihad Jordan
Most Active Issuing Bank in Jordan
Jordan Ahli Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in Kazakhstan
JSC Bank CenterCredit
Most Active Issuing Bank in Kosovo
NLB Banka SHA Prishtina
Most Active Issuing Bank in Kyrgyz Republic
OJSC Optima Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in Lebanon
Byblos Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in Moldova
OTP Bank SA
Most Active Issuing Bank in Mongolia
Khan Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in Montenegro
Hipotekarna Banka AD Podgorica
Most Active Issuing Bank in Morocco
Bank of Africa BMCE Group
Most Active Issuing Bank in North Macedonia
Komercijalna Banka AD Skopje
Most Active Issuing Bank in Romania
Alpha Bank Romania SA
Most Active Partner Bank in Serbia
Addiko Bank AD Beograd
Most Active Issuing Bank in Tajikistan
Bank Eskhata OJSC
Most Active Issuing Bank in Tunisia
Banque de Tunisie
Most Active Issuing Bank in Turkey
Alternatif Bank AŞ
Most Active Issuing Bank in Ukraine
JSB Ukrgasbank
Most Active Issuing Bank in Uzbekistan
JSICB Ipak Yuli
Most Active Issuing Bank in West Bank and Gaza
Quds Bank Plc
Most Active Confirming Bank in 2021
Commerzbank AG (Germany)
A special tribute was paid to the winners in a separate award ceremony for those banks most active in Green TFP, which facilitates the trade in goods necessary for energy efficiency improvements and low-carbon transition.
The winners were announced by Ksenia Brockmann, EBRD Green Financial System Associate Director.
The awards for most active issuing and confirming bank in Green TFP went to Piraeus Bank, Greece and to UBS Switzerland AG respectively, who supported the highest number of green trade transactions, helping to reduce CO2 emissions to a level that is equivalent to taking thousands of cars off the road.
Prizes for Deal of the Year – Green Trade were awarded to:
Ameriabank and Banca Popolare di Sondrio, jointly, for saving water resources in Armenia through the import of a modern bottling line, with a water-savings impact equivalent to the annual fresh water consumption of 440 Armenian households.
Piraeus Bank and Hellenic Bank, jointly, for promoting renewable energy in Cyprus through the installation of photovoltaic plants, resulting in renewable energy generation equivalent to the electrical energy consumption of 1,175 inhabitants of Cyprus.
Alpha Bank SA, Greece and UniCredit Bank Austria, jointly, for supporting circularity in the PET plastics sector in Greece, resulting in the annual production of approximately 460,000 half-litre PET bottles from recycled plastic.
Alpha Bank SA, Romania and Intesa Sanpaolo, jointly, for promoting responsible forest management by supporting trade in sustainably sourced secondary wood products, by facilitating the production of approximately 250 single entry doors from FSC certified timber, saving approximately 800 trees.
Uzpromstroybank and JP Morgan, jointly, for improving the energy efficiency of the retail sector in Uzbekistan, resulting in energy savings equivalent to the energy consumption of 24,250 inhabitants of Uzbekistan.
