Bulletin – April 2007

CSBFP Service Standards

The CSBF Program believes in the importance of providing excellent service. Our lenders are entitled to know what they should expect from the CSBF Program, how services will be delivered and what lenders can do when services they receive are not satisfactory . For these reasons, we are pleased to share our service standards with you. A copy of these Standards are available on our website at What's New at CSBFP.

These standards deal with the following:

• Language of service
• Response to enquiries
• Availability
• Loan registrations
• Claims for loss

Capital Leasing Pilot Project

The five-year Capital Leasing Pilot Project (CLPP) expired on March 31, 2007 . A notice to lessors explains the result of this on the registration of leases entered into as of March 31st , the payment of administration fees, submitting claims etc. The notice may be found on our website at What's New at CSBFP.

Lender Amalgamations

We wish to remind lenders of the provisions of Section 31 of the Canada Small Business Financing Regulations requiring lenders to notify the CSBF Program, in writing, of the intention to amalgamate and of the day on which the amalgamation is proposed to take effect.

The CSBF Guidelines (Item 10, Section B) explains the steps lenders need to follow and the issues that may arise when the CSBF Program is notified only after the date of amalgamation. An amalgamation has an effect on the calculation of the Minister's liability to a lender. If claims have been paid after amalgamation but before notification, any claims paid in excess of the Minister's liability to the amalgamating lenders, as of the date of amalgamation, must be reimbursed to the Minister.

Therefore, when lenders intend to amalgamate, they should inform the CSBF Program and when amalgamations have been completed, they are to forward to the CSBF Program a copy of the Certificate of Amalgamation of the lenders involved in the amalgamation.

Lender Legal Name Change

We also wish to remind lenders to notify the CSBF Program when a lender changes its name, by forwarding to us a copy of the Certificate of Name Change.

If you have any comments related to the service standards or on any points raised in this Bulletin, please feel free to contact us. We encourage you to submit any topics of interest that you would like to see addressed in future Bulletins .