DUSHANBE, October 7, 2013, Asia-Plus -- The remainder of loans provided by Tajik banks rose 40.4 percent in a year to August 31, 2013, reaching 6.884 billion somoni, including 4.3704 billion somoni provided in short-term loans (63.5 percent) and 2.5141 billion somoni provided n long-term loans (36.5 percent), according to the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT) head.

The weighted average interest rate for loans provided in the national currency was 23.98 percent and the weighted average interest rate for loans provided in foreign currencies was 22.63 percent, Tajik central bank head noted.

The volume of microloans provided by commercial banks reportedly rose 48.2 percent in a year to August 31, 2013, reaching 3.0359 billion somoni. 

Over the first eight months of this year, local banks have provided 601.1 million somoni in microloans to residents of remote mountain areas, 39.7 percent more than in the same period last year. 

According to Tajik central bank, 143 credit organizations, including 16 banks, 37 microloan deposit organizations, 44 microloan organizations and 46 microloan funds now function in Tajikistan.