AFC supports the 8th National Microfinance Conference in Tajikistan

AFC supports the 8th National Microfinance Conference in Tajikistan

Over 280 national, regional and international microfinance practitioners participated in the 8th National Microfinance Conference in Tajikistan this year, organized by the Association of Microfinance Organizations in Tajikistan (AMFOT) with the support of the GIZ Framework and Finance for Private Sector Development in Tajikistan (FFPSD) and the National Bank of Tajikistan, and under the sponsorship of the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Both donors have joined forces to finance and implement the GREAT Programme (Growth in the Rural Economy and Agriculture in Tajikistan). Supporting the development of the microfinance sector to foster economic development and create jobs is one objective the GREAT Programme and FFPSD have in common.

This year’s conference was organized under the title “Micro Financing in Tajikistan: Balancing Access to Finance and Client Protection”.

The overall objective of the conference was to connect international standards in client protection and Central Bank regulations with the current microfinance market in Tajikistan which is vibrantly growing.

The four sessions and discussion panels covered a variety of topics, including the market regulating framework conditions, obstacles to investments into the financial sector of the country, new financial products such as energy efficiency financing, and, finally, financial literacy as one aspect of responsible financing.

The annual microfinance conference in Tajikistan has become not only a forum for the exchange of information and best practices, but also a prime possibility to meet investors and donors. Also this year, several investment and funding contracts were signed, including a sub-ordinated loan to Eskhata Bank by IFC amounting to 15 Mio USD.

Furthermore, the Association of Microfinance Organisations in Tajikistan (AMFOT) and the Association of Banks in Tajikistan (ABT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at better using synergies in the areas of their work, in particular in the area of improving regulatory framework conditions in the financial sector.

The FFPSD project is implemented by AFC Consultants International in a consortium with the Academy of German Cooperatives (Akademie Deutscher Genossenschaften, ADG), AFC’s affiliated company in Central Asia, CAIConsult with its head office in Kyrgyzstan, and the Oxford Policy Management Ltd. (OPM). AFC is currently implementing several projects in Tajikistan, incl. different components of the GIZ FFPSD Programme and the KfW Rural Finance Sector Programme.

For further deateisl please contact Ms Erika Buerkle: Erika.Buerkle [at] afci.de