Republic Bank Partners with Caribbean Export Development Agency

Port of Spain, Trinidad, March 14, 2022: Republic Bank and the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA) today entered into a partnership with the objective of increasing the export potential and capacity of Trinidad and Tobago’s SMEs and larger firms.

This partnership is built on the premise of sustainability in the private sector and efforts to deepen regional integration within the Caribbean through business-to-business transactions.

The agreement will benefit Republic’s corporate and commercial clients as they will gain knowledge and exposure through CEDA’s virtual and in-person training, mentoring, and specialized workshops centered on topics like: cost and financial management, export marketing, and facilitating trade in services. Clients will have the added advantage of networking on a global scale, as they will have the opportunity to be involved in international trade shows.

The bank recognizes the need to boost the nation's exports in order to stimulate foreign exchange earnings and is committed to supporting businesses that place sustainability at their core.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Managing Director of Republic Bank, Nigel Baptiste, said, "A partnership like this is needed now more than ever as our inherently vulnerable Caribbean economies remain on the path to recovery after the crippling impact of COVID-19 and aim to stay the course to sustainable development and long-term economic growth in a "post-pandemic" world."

Damie Sinanan, Manager, Competitiveness and Export Promotion at CEDA added, “Partnering with Republic Bank is a great step in the right direction for us at Caribbean Export. We are here to support businesses and so is Republic Bank. Our new referral system will enable the Bank’s client officers to work with our technical officers to provide access to our suite of services that will enhance their business’ export competitiveness.”

This agreement further cements Republic Bank’s commitment to the Principles of Responsible Banking and helps the nation work towards achieving its Sustainable Development Goals.

It is also the intention of the bank to extend this initiative to other Republic Bank territories across the Caribbean in the future.