Robinson-Superior Treaty and Fort William First Nation Territory, Thunder Bay, Ontario – This week the Liberal government announced a $5 Billion commitment for the long-awaited National Indigenous Loan Guarantee Program in the federal budget. The program is aiming to help communities invest in the natural resource sector, facilitate equity ownership in energy, mining, forestry, and other infrastructure projects.
Jason Rasevych, President of the Anishnawbe Business Professionals Association, states:
“The announcement of a national Indigenous loan guarantee program is a positive commitment that protects lenders from potential defaults and derisks the cost of capital but much more needs to be disclosed on the governance of the program particularly how decisions are made and the criteria for social impact and project prioritization….
