The volume of the People’ Bank’s credit portfolio increased by nearly 90 billion soums as of 1 October 2007, the bank’s press service said. Of them, about 63.9 billion soums was invested in the financing of investment projects, 16.9 billion soums – extended to small business and private enterprise entities, 3.8 billion soums – extended in the form of micro-loans, and 4.1 billion soums – given out in loans to support women-entrepreneurs.

In order to stimulate the growth of the cattle stock raised by private farms, the bank and its branches appropriated nearly 7.1 billion soums for loans to some 8,000 needy families in the reporting period.

During the first nine months of this year, services were provided to about 16,000 agricultural enterprises, of them 11,735 – engaged in the growth of raw cotton and grain – received preferential loans for over 65 billion soums.

In order to provide financial and moral support to young families, the branches of the People’s Bank have extended preferential loans for the improvement of living and household conditions to over 3,000 families pursuant to the corresponding Decree of the President of Uzbekistan.