DUSHANBE, April 24, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The remainder of loans provided by Tajik banks rose nearly 40 38.7 percent in a year to March 31, 2014, reaching more than 8 billion somoni, according to the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT).

3.2 billion somoni were provided in loans in the national currency and some 4.8 billion somoni were provided in loans in foreign currencies.

In March 2014, the weighted average interest rate for loans provided in the national currency was 27.06 percent and the weighted average interest rate for loans provided in foreign currencies was 23.11 percent, Tajik central bank noted.

The volume of small loans provided over the first three months of this year has reportedly risen 31 percent compared to the same period last year.

Over the same three-month report period, 263.8 million somoni have been provided in micro loans to residents of remote mountain areas, which was 28.6 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.