ADB to provide $200m in fight against COVID-19
Asian Development Bank (ADB) will make available $200 million through its Supply Chain Finance Program for companies manufacturing and distributing medicines and other items needed to combat the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Companies manufacturing and distributing products, including medicines and personal protective equipment, are increasingly strained as production and distribution ramp up to address COVID-19, according to a news release issued here on Thursday.
The support from ADB, working in partnership with commercial banks, will provide such companies in Asia and the Pacific with additional working capital to meet expansion and other requirements.
"The support will target companies in the supply chain that are critical to fighting the virus," said ADB's Head of Trade and Supply Chain Finance Steven Beck.
"We're looking to support companies that want to ramp up production and therefore need to engage suppliers." Given that a single pool of supply chain finance is typically used for a subsequent delivery over a period of 1201880 days, the $200 million facility could support more than $400 million of financing over the next 12 months.
Fifty-fifty risk sharing from partner commercial banks could boost support under the facility to $800 million over the same period. The funds will be made available through ADB's Supply Chain Finance Program and provided to selected companies within weeks. ADB is closely monitoring the impact of COVID-19 on trade finance and is in regular contact with client banks to assess whether additional support is required.
ADB's response to COVID-19 to date includes $2 million announced on 7th February to enhance detection, prevention, and response in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Greater Mekong Subregion; another $2 million announced on 26th February to support response in all its developing members; and a CNY130 million ($18.6 million) private sector loan, signed on 25th February, to Wuhan, PRC-based pharmaceutical distributor Jointown Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. to support the continued supply of essential medicines and personal protective equipment.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will be tested for the new coronavirus, an official said Thursday as two key government buildings were being disinfected over an exposure scare. The Philippines has seen a jump this week in cases, including people who recently attended events with Senate lawmakers and government officials, potentially exposing them.
In response, the Senate building and Philippine central bank were undergoing cleaning, and several officials announced they would isolate themselves as a precaution.
Duterte, who at 74 is in a vulnerable age group for the virus, will be tested because he has been in regular contact with some of those officials.
"It is just prudent for us to take precautionary measures in compliance with the advice of our health officials," said Duterte ally and Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, adding he too was to be tested.
Hours after the news, trading in Manila's stock market was halted for only the second time ever as it plunged 10 percent in the latest rout to hit global equities over the virus.
The Philippine Stock Exchange reopened 15 minutes later and ended 9.71 percent, or 616.99 points, lower at 5,736.27, its lowest level in more than six years. The cutoff mechanism was adopted over a decade ago, and until Thursday had only been used on October 27, 2008, the exchange said on Twitter.
Duterte's health has been a recurring source of speculation in the Philippines since in 2016 he became the oldest person elected as the country's president.