OREANDA-NEWS. November 29, 2012. In the framework of development of successful cooperation between BPS-Sberbank and international financial institutions, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) increased the limit for trade finance operations set for BPS-Sberbank to USD 60 million with the extension option for another USD 20 million, reported the press-centre of BPS-Sberbank.

BPS-Sberbank joined the EBRD Trade Facilitation Programme in late 2010 as an issuing bank, and in May 2012 obtained the status of the confirming bank under the Programme.

EBRD Trade Facilitation Program has been in place since 1999 and currently covers transactions in over 20 countries of the CIS region, Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, Africa and Asia. Under this Programme, BPS-Sberbank has the possibility to offer Belarusian corporate clients of the bank (predominantly private enterprises) financing under EBRD guarantee of their import contracts with foreign counterparties, with loan funding provided by foreign banks with the tenor of up to 3-5 years. EBRD Trade Facilitation Programme notably increases the opportunities of Belarusian banks in finding the optimum solutions of financing of import contracts of their clients with exporters from the majority of countries in the world.

Enhancement of cooperation between BPS-Sberbank and EBRD under the Trade Finance Programme will contribute to further improvement of the positions of BPS-Sberbank in the field of trade finance in the domestic and international markets.

The aggregate volume of trade finance operations of BPS-Sberbank in 10 months 2012 exceeds USD 900 million. The Bank offers a wide range of services in trade finance and documentary business for export and import transactions taking into consideration the optimum structure of each transaction.

BPS-Sberbank is one of the leading banks in the Republic of Belarus providing banking services to private individuals and corporate customers including the largest-scale enterprises in all segments of the economy. The Bank's branches are located in all regions of the country. BPS-Sberbank is a member of Sberbank of Russia Group. Sberbank of Russia is the largest bank in Russia and the CIS.