(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1973 (46 of 1973), or in any other enactment for the time being in force relating to foreign exchange, the Small Industries Bank may, for the purposes of granting loans and advances under this Act, borrow, with the previous consent of the Central Government 1 ***, foreign currency from any bank or financial institution in any foreign country or otherwise.

(2) The Central Government may, where necessary, guarantee any loan taken by the Small Industries Bank under sub-section (1) or any part thereof as to the repayment of principal and the payment of interest and other incidental charges.

(3) All loans and advances granted by the Small Industries Bank out of foreign currency borrowed under sub-section (1) shall be expressed in terms of foreign currency as equivalent of Indian currency calculated in accordance with the rate of exchange prevailing at the time of grant thereof, and the amount due thereunder shall be repayable in equivalent Indian currency, calculated in accordance with the rate of exchange prevailing at the time of repayment of such loan or advance.

(4) Unless otherwise provided by the Central Government, any loss or profit in connection with any borrowing of foreign currency under sub-section (1) for the purpose of granting loans and advances under this Act, or with its repayment to the concerned foreign lending agency, on account of any fluctuations in the exchange accruing—

(a) during the period within which the loan or advance is repayable by the industrial concern in the small-scale sector or the period of actual repayment thereof by the concern, whichever is longer, shall be reimbursed by, or paid to, as the case may be, the recipient of such loans and advances;

(b) after the expiry of the period specified in clause (a),—

(i) shall be borne by the Small Industries Bank in respect of normal market fluctuations in the rate of foreign exchange;

(ii) shall be reimbursed by, or paid to, as the case may be, the Central Government in respect of fluctuations other than the normal market fluctuations in foreign exchange.

Explanation.—If any question arises as to whether any fluctuation as aforesaid is a normal market fluctuation or not, the same shall be decided by the Central Government whose decision thereon shall be final.