At the end of 2021, SIFEM, the development finance institution (DFI) of the Swiss Confederation, posted a positive operating result of CHF 40.3 million. This positive result is due to the rebound of market valuations and also reflects a number of successful exits from investments that were postponed from 2020 to 2021. This turnaround also reflects the high quality and resilience of the SIFEM portfolio to date. However, these results do not denote the end of the crisis in emerging markets and developing countries. In most of the markets in which SIFEM is active, employment has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, and economic conditions remain fragile.
SIFEM’s Chairman, Jörg Frieden, highlighted the present climate of uncertainty: “The world is going through multiple crises and one of the main question marks at this stage is to what extent they will have negative and lasting consequences on growth, income inequality and the labour markets of the developing world. The trend towards more social and economic sustainability could be substantially weakened.”
Seven new investments
In the context of the COVID-19 crisis, SIFEM’s counter-cyclical role has been significant. In 2021, SIFEM committed a total of USD 84 million in seven new investments. The new commitments include three investments in private equity funds, one investment in a mezzanine fund, one investment in a debt fund, and two loans to financial institutions. The private equity funds will undertake investments in India, Africa, and Southeast Asia, the mezzanine fund will invest in Africa, and the debt fund around fifty-fifty across Africa and Asia. A loan was extended to a microfinance institution in Tajikistan and another loan aimed at supporting local SMEs to a commercial bank in Nepal.
First financial cooperation between SIFEM and SDC
SIFEM’s first transaction in Nepal was also a pilot project for a new type of cooperation between SIFEM and the SDC, whereby the latter provides first loss guarantees for impactful but particularly risky transactions, thereby covering potential losses up to a maximum of 50% of the transaction value. The guarantee provided by SDC will enable SIFEM to invest more in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) such as Nepal, in line with the new strategic objectives defined by the Federal Council for the period 2021–24.
At the SIFEM Annual General Meeting on 4 May 2022, the Business and Financial Report 2021 and the audited Financial Accounts 2021 were approved.
Contact: Jörg Frieden, SIFEM Chairman, jfrieden@sifem.ch, +41 (0)31 310 09 30
Positive operating result for SIFEM in 2021 – and new investment cooperation with SDC
