EBRD launches “Women in Business” Program

“Kazakhstan has great potential for the development of SMEs and those enterprises headed by women. For this reason namely, we have launched a new “Women in Business” program. Kazakhstan will be the first Central Asian country to start it,” Claudio Viezzoli noted.

According to him, 50 mln U.S. dollars will be transferred to the second-tier banks which will be lent to the women-run small and medium enterprises. The banks will also provide technical consultations to them.

C. Viezzoli reminded that the EBRD is the first large investor in Kazakhstan and it is ready for mutually beneficially cooperation.

“Kazakhstan is the second largest country the EBRD operates in. Our Bank has been functioning in 36 countries of the world. By the end of the year our investment here is expected to reach 1 bln U.S. dollars. These are both EBRD’s funds and those attracted from donors. I would like to thank the Government of Kazakhstan, since our successful cooperation would be impossible without its support,” he stressed. By Murat Zhakeyev