D.F.C Wins International Award for Empowered Business Loan
The Development Finance Corporation (D.F.C.) has won a regional award for its loan offering in a category of services that it has not been known for. The lending institution snagged the Association of Latin American and Development Bank Supporting Award for Women Entrepreneurs. The winning product is the Empowered Business Loan for Women and Youths. Established in September 1963, D.F.C. is the region’s only development bank. It offers micro sector enterprise loans, home loans, student Loans, productive sector loans and since 2016, renewable energy and energy efficiency loans for businesses. But while it has been around for decades, the bank has never entered the competition until now, as its Chairman, Henry Anderson and its Chief Lending Officer, Shanelly Reneau informed today from Honduras where they went to receive the award.
Henry Anderson
Henry Anderson, Chairman, Development Finance Corporation
“Over the past two years, since beginning 2021, D.F.C has been working to organize the products it offers to the Belizean public, and as part of that initial business, two products were launched. One of those products my colleague will talk about won a regional award yesterday at the 53rd Assembly of ALIDA. ALIDA is the Association of Latin American and Development Bank, so it’s everything from Mexico to Argentina and the entire Caribbean. So essentially we, we developed a product that targets women and at any age and young men, and they have recognized the innovation in that.”
Shanelle Reneau
Shanelle Reneau, Chief Lending Officer, Development Finance Corporation
“We were tasked with basically coming up with this – it’s a, it was an intense process in terms of the documentation required and information that they were asking for, but nonetheless, we were able to put something together. It was due Easter Monday, to be honest, so we worked on Easter to see how we can showcase what the D.F.C has, especially as it pertains to the product that is very innovative. It’s been in place since 2021. And D.F.C is the only bank, I believe, that has a gender equity policy and action plan in place, but that is not being showcased, that is not known. So based on that fact, we decided, you know what? Let’s put this together, which we were able to do, and hence the reason we entered the competition. And subsequently, we got news about two weeks ago that D.F.C actually won the award.”
