OREANDA-NEWS. March 12, 2008. National Bank of Uzbekistan for Foreign Economic Activity (NBU) and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) signed a memorandum of mutual understanding on 5 March.

In the light of the successful progress of the small business and entrepreneurship projects funded from the first US$15 million credit line of the Islamic Development Bank, an agreement was reached on the provision of the second credit line to support SMEs in the key sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, fruit and vegetable processing, textile manufacturing, etc.

The project envisages direct effect on the agricultural and industrial levels of production, creation of new jobs and increase in the inflow of foreign currency into the country. The loan agreement should be signed shortly, NBU press service said.