OREANDA-NEWS. February 05, 2009. The Russian Bank for Development has presented its Program “Two-tier SME Lending Support Using Leasing Arrangements” in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, reported the press-centre of Russian Bank for Development.

The organizers of the meeting and designers of the program were Committee for Financial Markets of the RF Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Leasing Section) and the Russian Bank for Development.

According to Svetlana Biran, Deputy Chairman of the Board of RBD who presented the program, the basic objectives of the project are creation procedures of “targeted” support to SME, “transparent” mechanisms for selection projects to be financed under the program, as well as regional accessibility of the program to SMEs.

The document in particular designates the procedure and criterion for selection leasing companies and projects to participate in the RDD’s lending program. The Bank’s sectorial priorities are identified as well; among them are municipal housing economy, machine building, transport and communications, mini energy, chemical industry, and building materials industry. Alongside the program determines objects of leasing and ceiling contract amounts for each of them.

After the presentation there was a discussion of the program with the participants, among whom there were representatives from leasing companies, which implement leasing projects with SMEs. As a result the draft program was approved. The necessity of further optimization of basic indicators of the program and the practicability of usage of expert potential of the leasing community were identified. With this objection in mind it was decided to continue cooperation between RBD and the Leasing Section of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation.