VEB.RF and Gazprombank to Participate in Creating Russia’s Track & Trace System
The financial institutions will give a syndicated loan totalling 24.2 billion roubles.
VEB.RF, Gazprombank and Operator-CRPT (a subsidiary of the Center for Research in Perspective Technologies (CRPT)) have signed a syndicated loan agreement for 24.2 billion roubles. The loan will be provided through the Project Financing Factory to finance the project to create the Chestny ZNAK track & trace system.
The project is structured as a public-private partnership between CRPT and the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. The agreement is the first PPP in information technology and the first federal-level PPP in Russia.
CRPT shareholders will invest more than 220 billion roubles in creating and developing the system over 15 years, with a payback period of seven or more years. This will enable the government to achieve its goals of combating the grey economy and counterfeit goods without budgetary financing.
The syndicated loan is limited to a total of 24.2 billion roubles, with VEB.RF’s commitment of 8.7 billion roubles and Gazprombank’s commitment of 15.5 billion roubles.
“This project is important for the transparent operation of the entire consumer goods sector. Its implementation will make it possible to formulate equal and fair rules for commerce. Consumers will receive reliable protection and will be assured that they buy things coming through distribution channels authorised by the original manufacturer or trademark owner,” VEB.RF’s First Deputy Chairman – Member of the Management Board Nikolay Tsekhomsky said.
“Signing the syndicated loan agreement with Gazprombank and VEB.RF made it possible to achieve financial closure in Russia’s first federal-level public-private partnership project. The project will result in building the Russian track & trace system in important sectors such as the production and sale of pharmaceuticals, milk and consumer goods, as well as substantially reducing the sale of counterfeits,” Gazprombank’s Deputy Chairman of the Management Board Alexey Belous commented.
“We have already created the track & trace system with more than 6 billion unique digital codes for cigarettes, pharmaceuticals, furs and footwear. The number of product categories increased on 1 December, and the system will continue to develop next year. Cooperation with VEB.RF and Gazprombank will improve the operator’s financial flexibility in the next 18 months and create the conditions for the accelerated introduction of new product groups, including dairy products intended for the ultimate consumer,” CRPT’s Chairman of the Board of Directors Mikhail Dubin said.
The project to build the Russian end-to-end track & trace system is scheduled for completion in 2014, covering a wide range of goods. The existing system is used for tobacco products, certain pharmaceutical products, fur coats, tyres, footwear and perfumes. Starting from January 2020, the system will include all pharmaceuticals. As from June 2020, inclusion on the track & trace system will be mandatory, including for dairy products.
Belarusian Government and VEB.RF Agree on Financial Support for Exports to Third Countries
The Belarusian Government, represented by the Ministry of Finance, and VEB.RF have agreed on the terms and conditions of VEB.RF’s support for both Belarusian exports and Russian-Belarusian joint exports to third countries.
The agreement was signed by Minister of Finance Maksim Yermolovich on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Belarus and First Deputy Chairman – Member of the Management Board Nikolay Tsekhomsky on behalf of VEB.RF.
This is the first agreement under the government’s export support programme updated this year. The main changes in 2019 allow the export support mechanism to be used for exports not only to Russia but also to third countries (outside the United State of Russia and Belarus).
“Belarusian manufacturers can now take advantage of the Russian programme to have subsidised loan interest rates for the export of Russian-made components in their end products. Buyers from third countries will, in turn, be able to use the Belarusian programme subsidising interest rates for products imported from Belarus and containing Russian components,” Nikolay Tsekhomsky said.
The agreement between VEB.RF and the Belarusian Government provides for all kinds of soft-term financing involving non-resident banks under the updated programme: direct lending to buyers, interbank lending to the buyer’s bank and post-financing for documentary export credits. The agent bank under the agreement is Bank BelVEB, VEB.RF’s Belarusian-based subsidiary.
“Bank BelVEB initiated changes to the programme specified in Decree 466. Signing the first agreement with VEB.RF was the logical thing to do. This is another important contribution of the VEB.RF Group to the Belarusian economy and the promotion of closer integration with the Russian Federation by developing a financial infrastructure for export support. That is why Bank BelVEB encourages Belarusian exporters to join this unique programme,” Bank BelVEB’s Chairman of the Board Vasily Matyushevsky said.
To receive financing from VEB.RF, Belarusian exporters should use at least 30% of Russian-made components. Financing is offered for up to 5 years.
The agreement will enable Russian and Belarusian exporters to take advantage of a new mechanism helping them to enter the potentially lucrative markets in Latin America, Africa and South-East Asia.