ADB, Vietnam’s LPBank sign $80 mln loan package to finance women-owned SMEs

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Lien Viet Post Bank (LPBank) have signed a financing package of up to $80 million to expand access to finance for a women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) project in Vietnam.

In a Wednesday statement, the ADB said the financing comprises a $30 million loan from ADB’s ordinary capital resources and syndicated parallel loans worth $50 million.

It features $30 million from the Export–Import Bank of China (CEXIM), a state-owned bank dedicated to promoting China’s trade, investment and international cooperation, and $20 million from the ILX Fund, an Amsterdam-based asset manager focused on supporting the sustainable development goals (SDG) in emerging markets.

The ADB will act as the mandated lead arranger and bookrunner for the entire financing. The financial package will help LPBank design new products and procedures to enhance its support for women-owned SMEs (WSMEs).

A $750,000 performance-based grant funded by We-Fi will incentivize LPBank to expand its services to female borrowers and implement advisory support services for WSMEs.

“By providing access to finance and tailored advisory services, our partnership with LPBank will empower women entrepreneurs in Vietnam to thrive and contribute to the country’s economic growth,” said ADB director general for private sector operations Suzanne Gaboury.

“This loan package has more potential to provide effective financial solutions for customers, and also shows the efforts in supporting WSMEs, especially where they are in need of capital to recover from the pandemic and further develop their businessness,” said LPBank vice chairman Le Minh Tam.

SMEs account for 40% of Vietnam’s GDP and half of all employment. Access to commercial finance is a challenge, particularly for female borrowers who often face constraints such as lack of collateral, low financial literacy, higher risk perception by banks, and limited awareness among banks of the potential of the women’s market, the ADB stressed.