The World Bank has issued 20-year bonds totaling Yen 20 billion ($123.3 million) for private placement in Japan. The bonds carry an interest rate of 6.10 percent and are priced at par. They will have a final maturity of December 22, 2006. Subscribing investors consist of 43 Japanese banks and insurance companies.
The placement was lead-arranged by the Industrial Bank of Japan. The Bank of Tokyo is the paying agent. This is the World Bank’s fourth private placement of yen-denominated bonds inside Japan. The others took place in 1973, 1979 and in February of this year.
Koji Kashiwaya, Director of the Tokyo Office of the World Bank, today signed the agreements for the private placement in Tokyo on behalf of the Bank. He expressed appreciation for this further demonstration of support from the Japanese authorities and the investing institutions toward the development efforts of the World Bank.
Total direct yen borrowings by the World Bank since it entered the market in 1970 amount to Yen 3,611 billion (about $22.3 billion at the current exchange rate); Yen 2,791 billion ($17.2 billion) remains outstanding.
