The EBRD provides a loan in national currency to Ameriabank within the framework of a new program for financing women's entrepreneurship in the region - News | Ameriabank
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15Dec

The EBRD provides a loan in national currency to Ameriabank within the framework of a new program for financing women's entrepreneurship in the region

15 Dec, 2016 | Press release, All | Return|

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has granted Ameriabank a loan equivalent to USD 10 million for financing women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in order to support women's entrepreneurship in Armenia.
The loan is provided within the framework of the EBRD's Women in Business program, which now covers the Eastern Partnership member countries.
EBRD's Women in Business program was created to strengthen the role of women in the economy and has been successfully implemented in 25 countries that have received EBRD financing to date. It allows local banks to provide access to financing, provide business advice, train and support women entrepreneurs and managers.
The program components are financing, technical assistance, risk mitigation for local financial institutions through first-loss compensation during project implementation, and business advisory services aimed at supporting women-led SMEs. Technical assistance and advisory services are jointly funded by the EBRD and the governments of Luxembourg and Sweden.
Ameriabank is one of the leading banks in Armenia and is the first in its assets, loan portfolio, customer accounts and involved deposits (according to public reports dated 30.09.16). At the beginning of the year, EBRD added to Ameriabank's shareholders by acquiring 20% ​​of the bank's shares. Ameriabank is the first Armenian financial institution to join EBRD's Women in Business program.
"Women are a powerful economic potential for Armenia's economy. In this regard, it is very necessary to create preconditions for their success. That is why we strive to implement this very important initiative in Armenia. Women's entrepreneurship can be a powerful stimulus for the development of the country's economy. I am confident that the provided credit line, advice, professional knowledge and methods, and non-financial support services provided by the Women in Business team will allow women entrepreneurs to develop their businesses and prosper," said Mark Davis, director of EBRD's Yerevan office.
"I welcome the EBRD's initiative to increase the role of women in the economy of Armenia. Women entrepreneurs have successfully entered and gained a dominant position in certain sectors of the SME sector in Armenia. I hope that thanks to the targeted financial support, women entrepreneurs will be able to develop their activities and enter the sectors of the Armenian economy where there is a clear gender imbalance. This program will allow SMEs to be effectively developed thanks to the provided financial and non-financial support tools, which will be a huge potential for the narrow target audience of this program," said Artak Hanesyan, General Director of Ameriabank.
In 1992 Since starting operations in Armenia, the EBRD has invested more than 1.11 billion euros and implemented 153 projects in the country's financial, corporate, infrastructure development and energy sectors. 88% of investments went to private sector financing.


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"Ameriabank" CJSC is one of the dynamically developing banks of Armenia and ranks among the country's most stable and large financial institutions. It is the first investment bank in Armenia and since 2007 has been providing a wide range of innovative banking services. "Ameriabank" CJSC is a universal bank that provides corporate, investment and retail banking services, providing a complete set of banking solutions. For more information, you can visit www.ameriabank.am.