Bank-Insurance
Int. Finance Corp. Names Imad N. Fakhoury Regional Director for South Asia
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has appointed Imad N. Fakhoury as Regional Director for South Asia. Fakhoury, based in New Delhi, will lead IFC’s strategy and operations in the region, strengthening ties with the private sector, governments, and regional partners to enhance development outcomes.
Riccardo Puliti, IFC’s Regional Vice President for Asia and the Pacific, highlighted Fakhoury’s expertise in private capital mobilization for sustainable infrastructure and climate transitions, emphasizing the pivotal role in driving economic growth and job creation in South Asia. Puliti expressed confidence in Fakhoury’s leadership skills contributing to resilient economic growth.
IFC’s focus in South Asia encompasses strategic investments and advisory interventions across countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. The organization aims to foster inclusive sustainable growth, promote global and regional integration, strengthen capital markets, enhance competitiveness, and address gender disparities.
Imad N. Fakhoury emphasized the importance of private sector investment in achieving South Asia’s development goals amid global challenges. He stressed IFC’s commitment to offering innovative and scalable solutions for a greener, more inclusive, and resilient development model. Fakhoury outlined IFC’s dedication to creating opportunities, sustaining jobs, supporting climate goals, improving inclusion, and expanding digital and financial access in the region.
In the fiscal year 2023, IFC provided nearly $3.45 billion in long-term investments in South Asia, including $1.3 billion mobilized from other investors. Fakhoury acknowledged IFC’s commitment to climate investments and delivering impactful outcomes post-COP28. He expressed eagerness to collaborate with stakeholders, focusing on sustainable infrastructure, empowering small businesses, and facilitating public-private partnerships to enhance the region’s resilience.
Imad N. Fakhoury joined the World Bank Group in 2019 and previously served as Global Director for Infrastructure Finance, PPPs & Guarantees. Prior to his World Bank tenure, Fakhoury held ministerial positions in Jordan from 2010-2018, contributing significantly to flagship PPP transactions and national strategic infrastructure projects. Fakhoury holds degrees in Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Management, Public Policy, and an MBA.
The Bangladesh Bank has adjusted the dollar price to Tk117 from Tk110 by introducing the crawling peg exchange rate mechanism.
Under this new approach, the bank will buy and sell dollars with Tk117 as the mid rate.
This decision was reached during a meeting of the monetary policy committee on Wednesday, May 8th.
Additionally, the committee has opted to discontinue the SMART lending rate mechanism, allowing banks to set their lending rates based on dollar demand and supply, according to a circular issued after the meeting.
The crawling peg system permits a currency with a fixed exchange rate to fluctuate within a specified band of rates, combining features of both fixed and floating exchange rate regimes.
On May 5th, Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder announced the adoption of a market-based interest rate and the implementation of a crawling peg system to stabilize the foreign exchange rate.
He stated that the central bank is collaborating with prominent economists and bankers to devise a contractionary monetary policy aimed at curbing inflation and restoring macroeconomic stability.
Earlier, on April 2nd, the World Bank stressed the importance of a crawling peg mechanism aligned with market-clearing exchange rates to narrow the gap between formal and informal exchange rates, as outlined in the latest Bangladesh Development Update report.
Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advocated for a market-based dollar rate. In January 2023, the IMF attached several conditions to a $4.7 billion loan facility over a three-and-a-half-year period. Bangladesh has received two installments of the loan by fulfilling nearly all conditions, except for the reserve requirement.
On Sunday (May 5), the Bangladesh Bank (BB) once again dissolved the board of directors of the National Bank.
In a letter addressed to the managing director of the National Bank, the central bank announced the cancellation of the existing board of directors.
Furthermore, the banking regulator established a new board of directors and appointed Khalilur Rahman, the bank’s sponsor director, as the new chairman, according to the BB’s communication.
Mezbaul Haque, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Bank, commented on the development, stating that the action was taken to bolster the bank’s board of directors.
This move comes after a similar action in 2023 when the central bank ordered the dissolution of the National Bank’s board and formed a new one.
Prime Bank PLC has recently received Bancassurance Business commencement approval from Bangladesh Bank.
Mohammad Shahriar Siddiqui, director, BRPD, Bangladesh Bank handed over the approval letter to Nazeem A Choudhury, deputy managing director – consumer banking of Prime Bank PLC, at a ceremony held at Bangladesh Bank recently.
Mohammad Ashfaqur Rahman, additional director, BRPD, Bangladesh Bank, Ashraful Alam, joint director, BRPD, Bangladesh Bank, Miah Mohammad Rabiul Hasan, chief bancassurance officer, Prime Bank PLC were also present at the ceremony.
Bancassurance is a partnership between a bank and insurance company that will allow a Bank to sell insurance products of the insurance company through its distribution channels.
To offer a wide range of products to its customers and ensure best in class service, Prime Bank has partnered with leading insurance companies National Life Insurance Company Ltd. and Reliance Insurance Ltd.
Being one of the leading banks of the country, Prime Bank hopes to cater to the needs of insurance requirements of its customers through Bancassurance, in Bangladesh market.
