Trade and Development Bank (TDB) Established in 1985, is a multilateral, treaty-based financial institution with immunities and privileges, and currently with a balance sheet of about USD 4 billion, has as shareholders, 21 member countries from the tripartite region (COMESA, EAC and SADC), the African Development Bank, the National Pension Fund of Mauritius, Mauritian Eagle Insurance Company Ltd, Rwanda Social Security Board, Africa Re, ZEP RE, Seychelles Pension Fund, Banco Nacional Investimento (BNI), the National Social Security Fund of Uganda and SACOS Group as institutional shareholders, while the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Belarus (Paritetbank) are its non-regional member countries.

The Bank provides the opportunity for investors to gain exposure to fast growing economies through a profitable DFI with a sound balance sheet and strong growth prospects, and aims to be a preferred and leading regional DFI in Eastern and Southern Africa.

The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) 33rd Annual General Meeting will be held at the Savoy Resort and Spa, Seychelles, from the 28^th to 31^st of August 2017. The planned activities include the Board of Governors Meeting, Investor Round Table, the Central Bank Round Table, the Eminent Panel and a Gala Dinner.

The high-level international event will gather government and private sector leaders, investors, ministers of finance and other development finance partners to discuss trade and investment opportunities on the continent and challenges in managing investments and achieving development impact from a practitioner point of view.

“It is a great privilege to host TDB in Seychelles, once again. Its presence here signifies the increasingly pivotal role that Seychelles plays in the regional and continental development agenda,” said Dr. Peter Larose, Minister of Trade, Finance and Economic Planning of the Republic of Seychelles, who is also the incoming Chair to the Board of Governors of the Trade and Development Bank.

As part of TDB’s effort to expand the Bank’s membership and recruitment of new stakeholders, an Eminent Persons Advisory Panel has been established. The objective of the Panel is to advise the Bank on matters of strategies, partnerships and resource mobilization in the context of the Bank’s next five-year Corporate Strategy (2018-2022).

Among the eminent guests in attendance, include H.E Rupiah Bwezani Banda, former President of Zambia, H.E Erastus Mwencha, former Deputy Chair of the African Union, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, former President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Abdalla Hamdok, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and Dr. Christopher Humphrey, Development Expert from the University of Zurich amongst others.

The Central Bank Roundtable on Trade Finance, to be attended by Central Bank Governors from the region, will discuss banking trends and regional issues and how the latter can be addressed by Central Banks and TDB.

An Investor Roundtable will also take place where Pension Funds, Insurance companies and Sovereign funds will discuss their investment mandates, investment opportunities in the region and how to identify those that will generate significant impact on economic development while providing good returns.

The 33^rd Annual General Meeting of the Trade and Development Bank will also be an opportunity to reflect on the bank’s achievements and look at sustainable ways of tackling future challenges in the diverse industries and sectors of the region. “In recent years, we have been giving a big boost to our financing of trade, enterprise and infrastructure, which is evidenced in the tripling of our loan assets in the past five years. Cumulatively, the bank has provided close to USD 16 billion in financing for trade and socio-economic investment in the region.” said TDB President and CEO Admassu Tadesse.

“We have funded several landmark renewable energy projects such as Turkana Wind Power in Kenya, Hydromax Minihydro in Uganda, and industrial projects such as cement and steel plants in DR Congo, Djibouti, Zambia, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe. Other landmark projects funded include the Burundi Fibre Optic Backbone Project and Kilwa Power in Tanzania.  We will continue scaling up, with continued attention to economic transformation, sustainability and good corporate governance,” Mr Tadesse further added.