EBRD providing financing of up to US$ 15 million to Bank Eskhata

• EBRD providing up to US$ 15 million to Bank Eskhata in Tajikistan
• Funds will support youth- and women-led entrepreneurship

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting the development of businesses owned or led by young people or women entrepreneurs in Tajikistan by providing a financing package of up to US$ 15 million (€12.9 million) to the country’s largest private lender, Bank Eskhata.

The financing package consists of the following components:

• a loan of up to US$ 12 million (€10.3 million) under the EBRD’s Youth in Business (YiB) programme for Central Asia, targeting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that are led or owned by individuals under the age of 35
• a loan of up to US$ 3 million (€2.6 million) provided under the Central Asian Women in Business Programme (WiB), which is supported by the Women Entrepreneurs Financing Initiative

Both loans will be supported by technical cooperation funds, which will help Bank Eskhata to build capacity and improve its marketing practices.

To date, the EBRD has invested more than €1 billion in Tajikistan through 192 projects.