TIRANA, Sept 25 /ATA/- For the first time, second-level banks in the country organized in Tirana on Tuesday a meeting on access to credit and finance for rural businesses on the occasion of the publication of the “Practical Guideline for Farmers,” implemented with the support of the European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE).
Representatives of the private banking sector, business service providers and rural entrepreneurs gathered to discuss ways to increase lending to rural businesses. The Albanian government in cooperation with the Swiss government program supported this activity and promoted the creation of relationships between banks, service providers and tour operators, as the latter have access to small businesses that can benefit from loans.
Although the contribution of agribusiness sector to the Albanian economy is considerable, the number of loans to this sector is very low. We are creating new communication channels. Private banks need to develop more innovative ways of collaboration to increase financing in rural areas, and we want to offer our support in this regard, ”said Spiro Brumbulli, President of the Albanian Association of Banks
Agribusiness in Albania is one of the most important pillars of the economy as it contributes about 20% to GDP and 50% to employment. There are many opportunities for development of this sector through appropriate investment strategies, which can be realized if rural clients have the right information about financial methods and mechanisms, as well as access to the right expertise to implement business-oriented strategies focused on business growth.
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