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Foster welcomes bank's support for local businesses

Thursday, 5 February 2009

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster has today welcomed Ulster Bank's support for local small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

The Bank has set up a £250million Regional Fund to support SMEs by providing additional debt finance and access to other options to help businesses manage their capital and cashflow in the current downturn.

Arlene Foster said: "This is very welcome news and I commend the Ulster Bank for taking this step today. The scheme will provide valuable reassurance at this critical time and its flexibility is particularly welcome .

"It is vital that companies continue to have access to sufficient funds to support their operations . Along with offers from the other local banks and the UK Government's recently announced Enterprise Fund Guarantee Scheme, today's financial support package from Ulster Bank will provide local businesses with a wider range of funding options and help boost their confidence ."

Notes to Editors:

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