CABEI Mulls Malaysian Ringgit Issue

Building on recent funding in Hong Kong and Taiwanese dollars, yen and Mexican pesos, CABEI is considering a debut Malaysian Ringgit bond deal. The bank plans to lend to projects worth roughly $4 billion this and next year, up from $2.4 billion in 2006. Of that, less that $1 billion is for its own portfolio, CABEI president Harry Brautigam tells LatinFinance. The funding requirement is around $1 billion this year. Projects in the pipeline for the multilateral include infrastructure projects, creation of a regional mortgage market and a Central American clearing and settlement system to boost regional trade, and funding for eco tourism. The multilateral is also in the market for a CFO, now that Nick Rischbieth has moved up to vice president.