DUSHANBE, October 14, 2014, Asia-Plus -- The State Entrepreneurship Support Fund’s budget will be replenished with 1 billion somoni (TJS) within the next seven years.

Tajik President Emomali Rahmon made this remark in Dushanbe today at a meeting with entrepreneurs and investors. 

The State Entrepreneurship Support Fund has been established this year to support the successful development of entrepreneurial companies through an array of business support resources and services.

“This year, the national budget has contributed 63 million somoni to the Entrepreneurship Support Fund and 130 million somoni will be contributed to the Fund in 2015,” the president said, noting that the Fund’s budget will be replenished with 1 billion somoni within the next seven years.

“To-date, the State Entrepreneurship Support Fund has provided 48 million somoni in loans to 56 entrepreneurial entities,” Rahmon noted.

According to him, the republican budget has provided more than 720 million somoni in grants and preferential loans to small and medium-sized enterprises over the past five years.

In 2010-2014, banks and other financial institutions provided 34 billion somoni in loans, including 27 billion somoni (78 percent) provided to the private sector entities.