A historic agreement has been agreed between UKEF and the
Senegalese government to strengthen the nation’s fire response
services, in a deal that will bolster UK exports to the region.
UKEF has supported a £116.5 million loan from Standard Chartered
using a mix of Buyer Credit and Direct Lending which will be used
to purchase fire-fighting and other life-saving emergency
equipment in Senegal.
This is the first deal that UKEF has supported in Senegal and
follows UKEF’s largest-ever deal in West Africa last year,
worth over £200 million to support the construction of six
hospitals in the Côte d’Ivoire.
, UK Minister for Exports,
said:
The UK can provide a leading role when it comes to exporting fire
safety equipment. This deal demonstrates how British ingenuity
can better protect communities abroad and shows how the
government can help UK businesses export their best-in-class
equipment and services.
UKEF can help overseas buyers access financial support to make
their projects happen, provided they commit to sourcing goods and
services from the UK. This helps open new doors for world-class
British suppliers to trade overseas.
The lifesaving equipment will make Senegal’s fire and medical
services better armed to respond to emergencies. As a result of
the UKEF backing, over £34 million pounds worth of goods and
materials for the project will come from UK suppliers. UK-made
ambulances, fire trucks, footwear for first responders and
medical equipment will be exported throughout Senegal.
Louis Taylor, CEO of UK Export Finance, said:
Senegal is a unique market for UK exporters to tap into. I’ve
seen for myself this week how the UK and Senegal can work
together to unlock projects in the country with our financing and
open new trade routes for UK companies.
