DBS LAUNCHES SPECIAL BANKING PACKAGE FOR SOCIAL ENTERPRISES

***

First-of-its-kind package in Singapore offers
preferential terms, knowledge-sharing opportunities

SINGAPORE, 17 March 2008 - DBS Bank today launched a banking package specially tailored to social enterprises, in support of the growth of social entrepreneurship in Singapore.

DBS' Social Enterprise Special Package, an industry first, offers social enterprises preferential rates on business loans and unsecured overdrafts, and fee waivers for a slew of services, among other benefits.

To further enable and empower social enterprises to become commercially viable, DBS Enterprise Banking is committed to sharing its financial and business know-how with them through business mentoring clinics.

Through its Enterprise Banking unit, DBS has been actively supporting social entrepreneurship as part of its community outreach programme since December 2007.

"With our experience in supporting commercial enterprises, we hope to contribute to the growth of social entrepreneurship in Singapore. To succeed in an increasingly competitive, global economy, social enterprises will need to equip themselves with business capabilities to stay commercially viable. At DBS, we are committed to value adding to social enterprises through knowledge-sharing in the area of banking and finance. The motivation behind this is to facilitate the growth and commercial viability of social enterprises so that they can, in turn, pursue their social causes on a self-sustaining basis," said DBS head of Enterprise Banking Edwin Khoo.

Added Mr Gerard Ee, Chairperson of the Financing Subcommittee of the Social Enterprise Committee, "The Social Enterprise Committee, in evaluating how to grow the social enterprise sector in Singapore, found that social enterprises would benefit from more financing options as well as enhanced business support and training. I am very pleased that DBS is leading the way by introducing the DBS Social Enterprise Special Package and by its commitment to support social enterprises through knowledge sharing. These efforts will go a long way towards helping local social enterprises address their financial needs."

Benefits available under the Social Enterprise Special Package include:

• Preferred rates on unsecured lending products. The interest rate payable by social enterprises on unsecured overdrafts and business loans is 10.5% per annum, at least 2 percentage points lower than comparable rates charged to commercial borrowers.
• Two-year annual fee waiver for the DBS Business Platinum Card.
• Waiver of processing fees for government-assisted programmes, such as the SGD500 processing fee for micro loans under SPRING Singapore's Local Enterprise Finance Scheme.
• Waiver of fees for the usage of DBS' cash management services for the first year.

In addition, employees of social enterprises will be granted special privileges for a whole range of personal banking services, including mortgage loans, renovation loans, auto loans, credit cards and general insurance.

DBS was the official bank sponsor of the Social Innovators' Forum and the 2007 Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award organised by the Social Innovation Park in mid-December 2007.

About DBS
Headquartered in Singapore, DBS is one of the largest financial services groups in Asia with operations in 15 markets. The largest bank in Singapore as measured by assets, and a leading bank in Hong Kong, DBS' "AA-" and "Aa1" credit ratings are among the highest in the Asia-Pacific region. DBS has leading positions in corporate, SME and consumer banking, treasury and markets, wealth management, securities brokerage, equity and debt fund raising. Beyond the anchor markets of Singapore and Hong Kong, DBS serves corporate, institutional and retail customers through its operations in China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and The Philippines. More information about DBS Group Holdings and DBS Bank can be obtained from our website www.dbs.com.