DUSHANBE, April 22, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Chairman of the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT), Sharif Rahimzoda, told reporters on April 21 that Tajik banks have provided totaling 1.6 billion somoni (equivalent to some US$360 million) somoni in loans over the first three months of this year, which is 25.7 percent more than in January-March 2010.

“In the first quarter of this year, an average term for loans provided to physical entities was 368 days and the average term for loans provided to legal entities was 334 days,” said Rahimzoda, “The weighted average interest rate for loans provided in the national currency was 22.59 percent and the weighted average interest rate for loans provided in foreign currencies was 22.76 percent.”

The central bank head stressed that volumes of small loans rose 29 percent over the report, reaching 529.6 billion somoni.

According to Rahimzoda, the remainder of loans provided by Tajik banks rose 12.2 percent in a year to March 30, 2011, reaching 6.3 billion somoni (equivalent to more than 1.4 billion U.S. dollars).

In the structure of the remainder, a share of loans provided in the national currency, the somoni, was 68.6 percent, while the share of loans provided in foreign currencies was 31.4 percent.

The NBT top manager noted that 14 banks and 124 non-bank financial institutions now operated in Tajikistan.