International Finance Corporation signs first $100m deal with private bank

In a groundbreaking development, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's commercial division, has entered into its first $100 million financing deal with Bank Alfalah, a leading Pakistani private bank. The agreement was signed under the auspices of the Diversified Payment Rights (DPR) Programme at the Ministry of Finance.

The ceremony was graced by Momina Aijazuddin, the IFC's Regional Industry Director for Middle East & Central Asia, Bank Alfalah President & CEO Atif A. Bajwa, and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, who presided over the event.

The DPR Programme represents an innovative approach to sourcing long-term foreign currency financing through future foreign-currency payment flows, aiming to diversify international capital sources and enhance access to global markets. Finance Minister Aurangzeb praised the seamless coordination among key stakeholders - including the Ministry of Finance, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), IFC, and Bank Alfalah - that facilitated the successful transaction.

He emphasized the importance of diversifying Pakistan's foreign currency financing sources and leveraging this financing channel to fuel investment and productive economic activity.

The DPR structure, appreciated by the IFC, could potentially serve as a new avenue for long-term international financing, bolstering Pakistan's capital markets. Bank Alfalah, marking history as the first Pakistani bank to engage in a DPR transaction, expressed its commitment to using the structure to meet eligible foreign currency requirements and support productive investments.

This milestone, outlined by the MoF's adviser Khurram Schehzad, not only paves the way for similar market-based financing structures in the future but also signifies a significant step towards developing Pakistan's debt capital market and external financing framework.