Secretary-General of Saudi Export Development
Authority, Eng. Saleh Al-Solami, praised private sector incentive plan which
launched recently by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin
Abdulaziz, May Allah protect him, and which amounted to 72 billion SAR. In
addition, he said that this plan will revive private sector's incentives, open
new horizon to it and it will lead to develop the productive base and the
investment environment.
Referring to the issuance of the royal decree
approving private sector incentive and the approbation of a total amount of 66
million SAR to implement the initiative of launching the exports incentive
program, and approving an amount of 5 billion SAR to the initiative of
enhancing Saudi export finance to cover a part of Export-Import Bank capital to
be established, and Saudi Export Development Authority is supposed to complete
the statutory measures required to establish the bank. For his part, Al-Solami
illustrated that this step is important towards the right way in activating the
role of the authority, supporting the contribution in the economic growth of
the Kingdom, and implementing Vision 2030, he Stressed that launching Export-Import
Bank (EXIM
Bank) will support national companies to enhance its exports, products and
services to access to the global markets.
Al-Solami
revealed that the Authority has conducted a detailed study through which a
comprehensive assessment of the needs of the exporters, the current financing
environment and the international standards in this regard was made, and it had been
reached to the necessity and importance of an independent authority responsible
for financing the exports in the Kingdom. In addition, study outcomes were
presented to the National Industrial Development and Logistics Committee which
recommended the establishment of independent bank to finance the exports as a
quick gain of the program to motivate and support Saudi exports.
Al-Solami
stressed that the establishment of the bank will enhance the competitive
capacities for a several sectors of the national economy and develop its
products, besides improving the business environment and investment,
facilitating its implementation in the Kingdom, and promoting the developmental
role of private sector in the national economy. And certainly, non-oil exports
in the Kingdom need a great effort and stimulation, and this stimulation will
be reflected on it as an increase of non-oil exports. So, the diversification
and increase of non-oil exports is the success title of economic
diversification in the country.
Al-Solami
stated that Export-Import
Bank (EXIM
Bank) will provide four products as follows: Direct financing,
Insurance, Refinancing and Guarantees, to increase the value of non-oil exports,
asserting that the existence of a private bank for import and export will help
drive Saudi Arabia's exports development through financing of both foreign and
domestic exporters and importers, where the bank offers solutions targets all
stages of the export process in order to fill gaps in the financial services
provided to the import and export sector in the Kingdom. The bank will work
through an independent board of directors that is organizationally linked to
the National Development Fund, it is also proposed that its administrative reference
will be in the improvement of the efficiency of financing services of Saudi Export
Development Authority.
Furthermore,
the synchronization of stimulating Saudi exports with initiatives of stimulating
the private sector and the establishment of Exports Bank confirms that The
Kingdom's efforts are in its right way to implement Vision 2030, and that it
won't deviate from it. In addition, the plan of stimulating the private sector
in general, and small, medium institutions, in particular, will benefit Saudi exports
and open up new markets for it in the light of the high quality of Saudi
products and its competition in the global markets.
Al-Solami
stressed that the Kingdom economy has shown an exceptional and unique capacity in
maintaining the state of growth, stability and the ability to confront the
challenges despite the international economic developments and regional unrests,
that the exports have penetrated the international markets and created its own markets
in many countries of the world due to the economic policy of the Kingdom in
supporting non-oil exports.
Al-Solami
stated that the plan of stimulating the private sector includes economic and
financial strategies distributed sectoral, that will frame the feature of the Vision
and sector-specific policies for growth areas. He pointed out that applying the
stimulus plan in conjunction with the reform program of economic policies, will
put the Kingdom on the path to achieve sustainable growth which compounds
economic growth, stressing that Saudi Export Development Authority will work to
overcome barriers which face the exporters in cooperation with stakeholders.
Al-Solami also stated that Export-Import Bank (EXIM
Bank) will provide its financing to all manufacturers who are able to keep pace
with governmental plans which aim at increasing the contribution of industrial
exports in GDP of the Kingdom.
The plan
of stimulating the private sector aims at promoting competitiveness of the
national economy and developing its products besides improving business and
investment environment, facilitating its implementation in the country,
improving the confidence of the private sector in the economy and enhancing its
developmental role. The plan also stresses the confidence of the Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques' government in the private sector, and expresses the government's
belief in the importance of the role of the private sector as a key partner in
the development.
Eng. Al-Solami
also explained that the synchronization of the initiative of launching the
exports stimulus program as well as the initiative of promoting Saudi export
financing confirms the Kingdom's support for Saudi exports which supports the national
companies to access their products to the international markets and to enhance
its exports, products and services. Stressing the government's keenness to
stimulate Saudi exports, which will positively affect the Kingdom's economy. He
also expected that the next phase will witness a boom in Saudi exports.