Jazz secures PKR 50 billion loan to power 4G network rollout

Jazz has secured a PKR 50 billion syndicated credit facility from a banking consortium led by HBL. This 10-year facility will be used to finance the company’s ongoing 4G network rollouts and technology upgradation.

This is the first of its kind facility extended to the Telecom sector in terms of the amount and tenor. The facility is fully subscribed by HBL, the consortium’s investment agent and mandated lead arranger. Other Banks who are also acting as the mandated lead arrangers and advisors on this deal include, United Bank Limited, National Bank of Pakistan, MCB Bank, Bank Alfalah, Allied Bank Limited, Askari Bank Limited, Bank of Punjab, Meezan Bank Limited and Faysal Bank Limited.

A syndicated loan is offered by a group of lenders who join hands to provide credit to a large borrower. The borrower can be a corporation, an individual project, or a government. Each lender in the syndicate contributes part of the loan amount, and all share in the lending risk. One of the lenders act as the manager (arranging bank), which administers the loan on behalf of the other lenders in the syndicate which in this case is HBL. The syndicate can be a combination of various types of loans, each with different repayment terms that are agreed upon between the lenders and the borrower.

As the country’s leading digital services provider, Jazz has over 69 million subscribers and more than 28 million 4G users nationwide. Over a period of two years, the company has invested USD 462 million on 4G infrastructure. The Pakistan Credit Rating Agency Limited (PACRA) has also recently upgraded Jazz’s long-term rating to ‘AA’ with a stable outlook, depicting the company’s strong financial depth in the industry.

HBL, Pakistan’s largest bank, was the first commercial bank to be established in Pakistan in 1947. Over the years, HBL has grown its branch network to over 1,650+ branches, 2,100+ ATMs and 54,000+ Konnect by HBL agents (branchless banking platform), serving over 23 million customers in 14 countries across the world.

“We continue to drive the digital Pakistan agenda by improving digital infrastructure, bridging the digital divide and focusing on financial inclusion. We are enabling societies by investing in entrepreneurship, digital skills and literacy. This facility is an integral step towards ensuring that people are not bound by the limitations of geography, gender, or socioeconomic background, in harnessing the power of the internet. A transaction of this size is a testament to the trust the financial community has on Jazz’s strong financial profile and its leadership position in the telecom industry,” said Gabor Kocsis, Chief Financial Officer, Jazz.

Muhammad Aurangzeb, President & CEO – HBL commenting on the occasion stated, “We are delighted to have led this landmark transaction in the Telecom sector. HBL has a long-standing relationship with JAZZ spanning more than two decades. For the Bank, such transactions serve HBL’s strategic priority of supporting the promotion of digitalization across the country, while underscoring HBL’s commitment to stand by the robust and progressive Telecom sector of Pakistan.” GlobalVillageSpace