今年早些时候,为了抑制赞比亚货币克瓦查在2014年初的急剧贬值,赞比亚银行修订了作为财政政策一部分的外汇管理条例。该条例的修改将使向赞比亚项目贷款的中国银行获益。
于2014年3月被废止的法规是2012年第33号(以下简称33号文件)和第55号立法文件(以下简称55号文件)。33号文件禁止在赞比亚境内的外币交易,55号文件是要求贷款交易必须在赞比亚银行进行登记的框架性监管规定。
Recent amendments to foreign exchange regulations in Zambia benefit Chinese lenders
Earlier in the year, the Bank of Zambia amended foreign exchange regulations as part of monetary policy taken by Zambia to halt the depreciation of the Zambian kwacha which fell steeply in the first months of 2014. These regulatory changes will make it more efficient for Chinese banks to lend to projects in Zambia.
The regulations that were revoked on March 2014 with immediate effect were under Statutory Instrument No. 33 of 2012 (SI 33) and Statutory Instrument No. 55 of 2013 (SI 55). SI 33 prohibited conducting transactions in Zambia in foreign currency and SI 55 is a monitoring framework requiring lending transactions to be registered with the Bank of Zambia.
The implication of these rule changes for Chinese banks or other foreign financial institutions engaged in project finance or other lending in Zambia is increased flexibility and reduced administrative costs. With revocation of SI 33 a lender is permitted to denominate a loan in foreign currency like the USD to the borrower in Zambia. This allows the borrower in Zambia to avoid the requirement of opening a local bank account to receive funds. In this simplified procedure the loan can be directly disbursed from China to the borrower in Zambia. In revoking SI 55, the facility agreement between the lender and Zambia-based borrower will no longer need to be registered with the Bank of Zambia. By removing this step from the process, disbursement for the loan can be more rapidly arranged.
Zambia has been a major destination of Chinese investment in Africa with two industrial zones in Chambishi and East Lusaka established since 2007 by the Zambia – China Economic & Trade Cooperation Zone (ZCCZ). The southern African country is also a popular destination for Chinese small and medium enterprises with at least 100,000 Chinese nationals residing in the country, often operating businesses ranging from construction firms, private medical clinics, and even chicken farms.