KHUJAND, October 19, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Over the first nine moths of this year, banks and credit organizations operating in Sughd province have provided 665.5 million somoni in loans, which is 137 million somoni more than in the same period last year, Navrouz Valiyev, the head of the branch of the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) in Khujand, told reporters on October 18.

Over the report period, loans for a total of 16.7 million somoni, including 5.3 million somoni of deposit budgetary funds, have been provided to local cotton producing farms.  The cotton loan arrears now amount to 14.5 million somoni, including 4.9 million somoni of the deposit budgetary funds, Valiyev said.

Over the same nine-moth period, 502 million U.S. dollars have been remitted to banks in the province and 182.4 million U.S. dollars have been transferred through local banks, the head of NBT’s branch noted.