DUSHANBE, January 24, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- As of January 1, 2013, the remainder of loans provided by Tajik banks amounted to 5.3 billion somoni (equivalent to more than 1.1 billion U.S dollars), according to the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT).

In 2012, Tajik banks provided 6.8 billion somoni (more than 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) in loans, 4.6 percent more than in 2011.  42 percent of the loans were provided in the national currency and 59.8 percent were provided in foreign currencies.  

The weighted average interest rate for loans provided in the national currency was 21.4 percent and the weighted average interest rate for loans provided in foreign currencies was 24.5 percent, Tajik central bank source noted.

The volume of microloans provided by commercial banks reportedly rose 33.7 percent in a year to December 31, 2012, reaching 3.2 billion somoni. 

Over the report period, local banks provided 663.6 million somoni in microloans to residents of remote mountain areas, 28.2 percent more than in 2011. 

According to Tajik central bank, 142 credit organizations, including 16 banks and 299 their branches, two non-bank financial institutions and 124 microfinance organizations now function in Tajikistan.