Bhutan Development Bank Limited
The Royal Charter, January 1988, incorporated Bhutan Development Bank Limited (BDBL) with assistance from Asian Development Bank (ADB) to function as a development finance institution (DFI). BDB is now registered as a company under the Companies Act 2000 and licensed under the Financial Institutions Act 1992. BDB now functions as a domestic development bank after obtaining its banking license in March 2010.
A Board of Directors appointed by RGoB governs BDBL and the Royal Monetary Authority regulates its operation. The Royal Government of Bhutan owns 96% of its paid up share capital, which is Nu. 507.317 million.
BDBL is the only Development Bank that provides seasonal and other small and medium term loan and banking services to the rural farmers. It also provides term and working capital loan to industrial, commercial and agricultural enterprises in Bhutan.
As a part of the Bank’s social mandate to increase people’s access to financial services and promote financial inclusion, the Bank is putting an effort to introduce geog banking services in all 205 geogs in the country. Since the geog banking services is based on the Point of Sales (POS) device, the bank provides a wide range of banking services on a real time basis like cash deposits, withdrawals, loan repayment, account inquiry, fund transfers, remittances, enrollment of customers, mini statement of last five transactions and utility bill payments.
BDBL has partnered with the Business Opportunity and Information Centre (BOiC) to deliver the post fund sanction services on behalf of BoIC. Besides, BDBL has also taken over the operation of the Community Service Center established across all 205 geogs from Bhutan Postal Corporation as per the mandate of Royal Government of Bhutan.
As on date the Bank has 33 branches and 3 Regional Offices across the country with its Corporate Office based in Thimphu.
BDBL holds 04.62% equity share in FITI.