A trio of Saskatchewan bands could cut their borrowing costs by thousands of dollars.
The Whitecap Dakota, Birch Narrows, and Kahkewistahaw bands have applied to the First Nations Financial Management Board for certification.
The board’s executive chair, Harold Calla, says that means opening their books and proving they are financially sound:
“It gives both the finance authority and investors confidence that the system is sound and that the client has the capacity to pay their debt.”
Calla says, if they do that, they can borrow like other governments by getting access to wholesale rates rather than retail rates:
“You get much longer terms that come through the issue of debentures, instead of working with a five-year term or a 10-year term amortization. You get much longer term, and you get a fixed rate for the period.”
He says the approval process could take six to eight weeks.
The board announced on Friday that the Membertou First Nation of Nova Scotia is the first band in the country to be approved.