Private-sector financier with a public remit

CLIFFORD Capital is leading discussions with Singapore government agencies to develop infrastructure debt as an asset class here.

The Temasek-backed structured finance company has been contributing ideas to the Government on how to set up an infrastructure debt takeout facility that will enable institutions to invest in long-term infrastructure debt instruments, while giving banks an avenue to recycle their infrastructure project finance loan book.

In an interview with The Business Times, CEO Clive Kerner said: "The thinking here is that with increasing banking regulation, it is going to be harder over time for banks to do the long-term lending that is needed to make infrastructure projects viable.