Key Sponsor of DRC Mining Week, Invests $2B USD in Mining Sector
EquityBCDC is among the biggest sponsors of DRC Mining Week. For several years, this bank has supported mining players throughout the value chain from the exploitation, production and marketing of minerals.
In an interview, the DGA of this bank, Jean-Claude Tshipama explains to us the height of their intervention in the mining sector, estimated at nearly 2 billion USD.
The mining sector contributes more than 40% to the country’s GDP and EquityBCDC presents itself with solutions capable of providing financing, facilitation in the exploitation, production, transport of minerals and marketing to off takers cad international buyers.
“Throughout the value chain of the mining sector, Equity has a role to play. We have a role in the identification of minerals, project start-up, project financing, extraction operation, extension of mines.
These are the capacities of our local and international Equity too” indicated Jean Claude Tshipama, CEO of EquityBCDC.
In addition, this bank also intervenes in the ecosystem of the mining sector for subcontractors, mining transporters, service providers.
All these Actors in this sector benefit from either short-term or medium-term financing. EquityBCDC positions itself as a mining development player.
EquityBCDC’s investment amounts to millions of USD
In terms of investment, the contribution of this bank just for the last six months of the year 2022 is valued at more than one billion dollars.
“ If we look in the pipe cad what is in progress, we are easily at more than 2 billion USD available. This is one of the reasons why we are a major sponsor because we believe that this meeting is a One stop shop ie we have all the players in the ecosystem, there are business meetings that are held there on the sidelines conferences that are animated.
This allows us to sign a partnership. And the biggest ticket is 350 million USD that we gave to a minie r” explains the CEO of EquityBCDC.
Being the bank for all social strata, EquityBCDC has set up a financing mechanism for small traders and artisanal miners.
For the first category, small traders, a system of banking agents formerly called “ Cash Express ” and today “ EquityBCDC Express ” is operational. To date, there are nearly 19,000 banking agents spread throughout the DRC. They help clients open their account, make withdrawals,
“ These small merchants, ie shops, kiosks, we gave them small amounts. This is a way for us to be closer to the population,” he underlined.
For artisanal miners, a partnership has been signed with Usaid for support for artisanal miners. This is done in phases:
First, the stage of identifying these craftsmen to help them formalize themselves.
Then, the bank helps them to federate through cooperatives. Already the bank works with fifty cooperatives in the gold sector.
Also, there is a financial inclusion program to enable these cooperatives to restructure.
Finally, comes the financing part which starts with 5000 dollars.
EquityBCDC in numbers
EquityBCDC exists since 1909. It has nearly 2000 agents in all the provinces of the DRC and nearly 3000 direct jobs. In 2022, more than 300 young people registered. 19,000 banking agents and 350 ATMs.
SOURCE:zoom–eco-net.
