CONTACTS: +254 726879488 (Mobile)
+254770 455 116 (Office)
Standard Chartered today launched the Kenya leg of the Bank’s Belt & Road Relay, the first-ever global running event spanning the Belt and Road Initiative, with the aim of highlighting the Bank’s continued commitment to the Belt and Road Initiative, and the positive impact of the initiative to communities and businesses globally.
The Relay is led by eight staff athletes from Standard Chartered, selected from the Bank’s diverse footprint in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe and the Americas. The Standard Chartered Belt & Road Relay kicked off in Hong Kong on 17 February and will end in China on 11 May following the Belt and Road Forum, where by the athletes will have run across 44 Belt and Road markets within a 90-day period.
Commenting on the Relay, Kariuki Ngari, Chief Executive, Standard Chartered Kenya, said, “The Belt & Road Initiative is the most ambitious and far-reaching project of its kind in the world today. We are present in two-thirds of Belt & Road markets, and our rich heritage, deep local knowledge and unparalleled connectivity mean that we’re ideally placed to help our partners, clients and communities to make the most out of the initiative. By traversing these markets on foot and engaging clients, governments, media and communities, our Standard Chartered Belt & Road Relay athletes will showcase our commitment to be the One Bank for the Belt & Road.”
The Belt & Road initiative is core to Standard Chartered, with the Bank announcing it will facilitate additional financing of at least USD20 billion by 2020. So far, Standard Chartered has been involved in nearly 100 Belt & Road projects with more than 50% of these projects belonging to transport infrastructure covering mostly the African and South Asian countries.
Mr Kariuki added: “Given the scale and complexity of the Belt and Road Initiative, collaboration and partnerships with regulators, financial institutions and development banks are critical in ensuring that everyone can benefit. The Bank will continue to leverage its strong and strategic partnerships with the Silk Road Fund, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, New Development Bank, Chinese policy banks, and Chinese commercial banks to ensure clients have full institutional support as they go global.”
To follow the progress of the Standard Chartered Belt & Road Relay, or for more information on the Belt and Road initiative, please visit www.sc.com/beltandroadrelay.