KULOB, July 14, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Over the first six months of this year, branches of commercial banks and microcredit organizations operating in the Kulob zone of Khatlon province have provided 63,850,607 somoni in loans, which is 10.025 million somoni more than in the same period last year, Abdukarim Nematov, the head of the branch of the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT), said in an interview with Asia-Plus.

According to him, 44.8 percent (28,625,862 somoni) of loans have been provided to support enhancement of the agrarian sector.  Commerce and entrepreneurship have accounted for 37 percent of the overall volume of loans provided by local banks over the report period.  In the meantime, enterprises of industrial, construction and transportation sectors have received totaling only 9.8 percent of loans provided in January-June 2010.

“This loan distribution percentage probably results from loan repayment problems,” said Nematov, “Besides, banks are currently experiencing difficulties with circulating assets.  As of July 1, 6,832 customers of the banks have had existing loans for a total amount of 114,678,830 somoni.”