RBI Notifies $500 Million Credit Line For Sri Lanka To Procure Petroleum Products

INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
notification to initiate the $500 million line of credit provided by India to Sri Lanka, which would enable it to buy petroleum products.The
island nation is going through one of its worst economic crisis mainly due to the Coronavirus pandemic.Export-Import Bank of India (Exim
a notification, RBI said that out of the total credit by Exim Bank, goods, works and services of value of at least 75 per cent should be
supplied by the seller from India.The remaining 25 per cent of goods and services may be procured by seller (Sri Lanka) from outside
India.The agreement under the line of credit came into effect from February 18, 2022.As per conditions of the credit line, the terminal
utilisation period is six months from the date of signing of the agreement or other extended date agreed at the request of borrower.However,
the extended date should not be beyond 12 months from the date of the agreement, the RBI said.Sri Lanka is currently reeling under a severe
foreign exchange crisis with falling reserves
The country is also grappling with a shortage of almost all essentials due to the lack of dollars to pay for the imports.It's power
generation has been hit by the foreign exchange crisis as the fuel for operating thermal power plants is in short supply
The power regulators have warned of five-six hours a day of rolling power cuts over the next few days.