MIGA has issued a guarantee of €25 million ($35.6 million equivalent) to Habib Bank AG Zurich (HBZ) covering a portion of its equity investment into Habib Metropolitan Bank Limited (HMB) in Pakistan. HBZ’s investment is in the form of reinvested retained earnings, and MIGA’s guarantee is for a period of up to 20 years against the risks of transfer restriction, expropriation, and war and civil disturbance.

This is the sixth guarantee that MIGA has provided to HBZ in support of the expansion and growth of its branch operations in Pakistan. MIGA’s guarantee will help the bank implement a multi-pronged strategy to (1) restructure and expand HMB’s branch network to over 120 offices by 2010; (2) improve product quality and innovation; (3) accelerate growth in consumer and Islamic banking; and (4) improve control, efficiency, and build operations capacity. MIGA’s continued support is considered critical to the investor, and this project will help contribute to the overall strength of Pakistan’s banking sector—one of the government’s top reform priorities.

MIGA’s support is also aligned with the World Bank Group’s strategy in Pakistan’s financial sector, which aims at increasing competition and expanding access to financial services to different segments of the population. The sector still suffers from low banking penetration and limited access to finance, especially with respect to the provision of banking services to underserved segments, including small and medium enterprises, consumer and housing finance, microfinance, and rural finance.