Dr. Rak Vorrakitpokatorn, President of Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Thailand), held a press conference jointly with Mr. Kosintr Puongsophol, Financial Sector Specialist, Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department of Asian Development Bank (ADB); Mr. Prakob Phiencharoen, Head of Corporate and Investment Banking Group, Bank of Ayudhya Public Company Limited (BAY); and Ms. Paphakorn Ratanasate, Senior Executive Vice President, Investment and Financial Management Group, Government Savings Bank (GSB), at EXIM Thailand's Head Office on September 21, 2022 to announce the notable success of EXIM Thailand's issue and offering of two tranches of Green Bond worth 5,000 million baht in total on September 9, 2022. The Green Bond issue is aimed to raise funds for lending to clean energy projects with ADB as the Bond Advisor working out the sustainable finance framework, GSB as the Lead Underwriter, and BAY as the Underwriter and Registrar. Both tranches of the Bond had been well responded by leading investors and offered attractive coupon rates amid the volatile money market conditions with the upward trend of interest rates.
The Green Bond issue is divided into "Export-Import Bank of Thailand Green Bond No. 1/2022 Tranche 1 Due 2025" (Tranche 1 Bond) in an issue size of 3 million units worth 3,000 million baht, with a 3-year tenor and fixed interest rate of 2.25% per annum payable every 6 months throughout the bond tenor; and "Export-Import Bank of Thailand Green Bond No. 1/2022 Tranche 2 Due 2026" (Tranche 2 Bond) in an issue size of 2 million units worth 2,000 million baht, with a 4-year tenor and floating interest rate of compounded THOR +0.34% per annum payable every 6 months throughout the bond tenor.
EXIM Thailand is the first state-owned specialized financial institution which has established the sustainable finance framework and issued the Green Bond using THOR (Thai Overnight Repurchase) as the reference rate to support THOR-based transactions according to the Bank of Thailand's target. The Bank has planned to consistently raise funds under the sustainable finance framework under EXIM Thailand's role of Thailand Development Bank linking economic dimension with social and environmental dimensions. This is in line with the United Nations's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) guideline and the declaration jointly made by Thai government at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) to achieve net-zero emissions by 2065.
EXIM Thailand has so far rendered financial facilities to businesses in the Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) economy representing approximately 30% of its entire loan portfolio or accounting for around 50,000 million baht. Looking forward, the Bank has targeted to grow BCG loans to 100,000 million baht by 2027 to join global community in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to achieve carbon neutrality. Close and vigorous collaboration will be made with both the public and private entities concerned to promote and develop the zero-waste system, recycling factory residue in the production process, renewable use and optimization of resources, and building Thai supply chains in linkage with clean global supply chains toward sustainable development of all sectors.