KULOB, July 18, 2008, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan’s savings bank, Amonatbonk, supports enhancement of agrarian sector in Khatlon’s Kulob region through providing loans to local farming units. 

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, the head of Amonatbonk’s branch in Kulob, Izzatullo Rahmonov, said that over the first six months of this year, the bank has provided 17.647 million somonis in loans, which is 2.5 times more than in the same period of last year.   

“12.987 million somonis or 73.4 percent of this year’s loans have bee provided to local farmers,” said Rahmonov.  “Of this amount, 8.064 million somonis have gone to supporting development of the cotton sector.”

He added that of 17.647 million somonis having been provided in loans in January-June this year, only 6.576 million somonis have been provided by the Ministry of Finance (MoF), while the remainder is own resources of the bank.

According to him, compared to January-June 2007 labor migrants have remitted money to their bank over the report period 4.2 times more.