KULOB, October 12, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Over the first nine months of this year, banks and microfinance organizations operating in Khatlon’s Kulob zone have provided loans for a total amount of 88,380,114 somoni, which is 29,409,934 somoni fewer than in the same period of last year, Adbukarim Nematov, the head of the branch of the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) in Kulob, told reporters in Kulob on October 11.

According to him, 54.9 percent of this amount has gone to supporting development of the agrarian sector, 24.5 percent of the overall amount of loans has been provided to commercial organizations, and 20.6 percent has been provided for development of local industrial, transportation and construction sectors, as well as other purposes.

Nematov added that dilapidated banknotes for a total amount of 8,148,634 somoni had been immobilized in the area over the report period.