DUSHANBE, January 19, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- Ms. Malohat Kholiqzoda, the deputy head of the National bank of Tajikistan (NBT), told reporters on January 19 that the remainder of loans provided by Tajik banks rose 25.3 percent in a year to December 1 2011, reaching 4.7 billion somoni.

In the structure of the remainder, a share of loans provided in the national currency, the somoni, was 44.5 percent, while the share of loans provided in foreign currencies was 55.5 percent, the Tajik central bank deputy head noted.

Last year, an average loan repayment period for physical entities was 373 days and for legal entities 338 days, she noted.

The weighted average interest rate for loans provided in the national currency was 22.85 percent and the weighted average interest rate for loans provided in foreign currencies was 21.91 percent.

Last year, local banks reportedly provided more than 2.3 billion somoni in small loans, which is 31.1 percent more than in 2010.

Fourteen banks and 124 non-banking financial institutions now function in Tajikistan.