By Jane Ross
The EBRD Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) has announced the winners of its prestigious annual TFP Awards.
Over the last two decades, the EBRD Trade Facilitation Programme has gained widespread recognition and appreciation from partner banks, exporters and importers and has created a thriving professional network to enable industry collaboration and exchange.
In 2020, the Programme has stepped up its support, providing amplified financing for trade with a record €1.5 billion(US$1.7billion) in the first five months of the year.
The 2020 TFP Awards honour those successful issuing and confirming banks that have been most active in delivering EBRD financing across its countries of operations over the past year, and include a bank that has attained academic excellence by training its employees in EBRD’s capacity development programmes.
On the announcement of the TFP Awards, EBRD Managing Director, Financial Institutions Francis Malige said: “Trade finance is key to boosting economic development and growth across the EBRD’s regions of operations. Our partner banks help to make this happen, by providing the financial means and support that allow companies to identify, explore and conquer new markets. Through our annual TFP awards, we are proud to recognise the achievements of partner banks in 27 countries, who are making a real impact and creatively use EBRD’s financing products to support international trade.”
The 2020 TFP Awards are presented to banks in the following countries (in alphabetical order):
Award for 2019 Winner
Most Active Issuing Bank in ALBANIA
Union Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in ARMENIA
Armswissbank CJSC
Most Active Issuing Bank in BELARUS
Belinvestbank JSC
Most Active Issuing Bank in BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Raiffeisen Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in BULGARIA
Eurobank Bulgaria
Most Active Partner Bank in CROATIA
Erste & Steiermärkische Bank d.d
Most Active Issuing Bank in CYPRUS
Bank of Cyprus Public Company Limited
Most Active Issuing Bank in EGYPT
Qatar National Bank Alahli
Most Active Issuing Bank in GEORGIA
TBC Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in GREECE
National Bank of Greece SA
Most Active Issuing Bank in JORDAN
Investbank
Most Active Issuing Bank in KAZAKHSTAN
JSC Bank Centercredit
Most Active Issuing Bank in KOSOVO
NLB Banka J.S.C. Prishtina
Most Active Issuing Bank in KYRGYZ REPUBLIC
Kyrgyz Investment and Credit Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in LEBANON
Blom Bank S.A.L.
Most Active Issuing Bank in MOLDOVA
Mobiasbanca-OTP Group S.A.
Most Active Issuing Bank in MONGOLIA
Khan Bank LLC
Most Active Issuing Bank in MONTENEGRO
Hipotekarna Bank AD
Most Active Partner Bank in MOROCCO
Bank of Africa
Most Active Issuing Bank in THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA
Komercijalna Banka AD Skopje
Most Active Issuing Bank in ROMANIA
Alpha Bank Romania S.A.
Most Active Issuing Bank in SERBIA
Eurobank A.D. Beograd
Most Active Issuing Bank in TAJIKISTAN
Bank Eskhata OJSC
Most Active Issuing Bank in TUNISIA
Amen Bank
Most Active Issuing Bank in TURKEY
Alternatifbank A.S.
Most Active Issuing Bank in UKRAINE
Raiffeisen Bank Aval
Most Active Issuing Bank in UZBEKISTAN
Joint-Stock Commercial Bank “Asaka”
Most Active Issuing Bank in UZBEKISTAN
Joint Stock Commercial Mortgage Bank “Ipoteka-Bank”
Most Active Confirming Bank in 2019
Commerzbank AG
Academic Excellence Award in Cooperation with International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
The award ceremony for the TFP Awards was scheduled to take place at the EBRD Annual Meeting and Business Forum in May 2020, which was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Launched in 1999, the EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme aims to promote foreign trade to, from and among the countries in which the EBRD invests. Through the programme, the EBRD provides guarantees to international confirming banks and short-term loans to selected banks and factoring companies for on-lending to local exporters, importers and distributors. The TFP currently includes over 120 issuing/partner banks in 30 economies, with limits exceeding €5 billion in total and more than 800 confirming banks worldwide.
