March 30 (SeeNews) - Slovenia's government is considering the issuance of sustainability bonds on the Japanese market, finance minister Klemen Bostjancic said.
The government is also considering options to place bonds in China, whereas a potential retail bond issue is also thought about, Bostjancic said in a video file posted on the YouTube channel of Slovenian news agency STA earlier this week.
"It is very likely that the retail bonds will be issued this year," Bostjancic said during a news conference at the opening of the Days of the Slovenian Capital Market conference on March 27.
Bostjancic also said that Slovenian state-owned lender SID Banka intends to launch a venture capital fund in cooperation with the European Investment Bank.
In January, Slovenia raised 1.25 billion euro ($1.36 billion) from institutional investors through the issue of a ten-year sustainability bond with a coupon of 3.625% and a 3.654% reoffer yield. The proceeds from the sustainability bond issue will be used to fund government investments that contribute positively to its environmental and social goals, and further promote and develop the domestic and international green, social, and sustainability bond market, the financial ministry said back in January.
($ = 0.92012 euro)