Trans-Afghan pipeline project a reality?
By Gulshen Ashirova, TCA contributor
ASHGABAT (TCA). President Niyazov's dream of diversifying routes delivering Turkmen energy sources to the international market may come true. Although today Turkmen natural gas is still exported only through Russia, the southeast route seems to become more realistic.
Read more  

Kazakhstan: Talk of Oil Pipeline through Afghanistan
By Michael Lelyveld
NEW YORK. Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbaev sparked tentative interest in his country`s oil resources during a visit to India this week. But Kazakh reports of a pipeline deal involving Afghanistan seem to have been greatly overblown.    Read more 

Dealing with "Black Cash" vs. Cashless Society

TASHKENT. A lack of cash in the economy adversely affects the financial sector, by slowing it down in each month?s last ten days. One can say, that commercial banks in Uzbekistan play the role of thermometers, by registering the state`s health of the public organism with regard to cash circulation.    Read more 

SME Bank Inherits Best Practices
By Sarwat Ahsan
ISLAMABAD. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) form 90 per cent of businesses in the country, comprising heterogeneous activities with active presence in services and manufacturing sectors.    Read more 

Kazakhstan Investors to Extend Possibilities

ALMATY (TCA). The Kazakhstan stock exchange (KASE) automatic REPO market is a comparatively young and rapidly developing segment. In this KASE segment, legal persons can borrow or lend large sums of money for a term from one to 28 days on security of valuable papers on market conditions.    Read more 

Kazakhstan Monetary Policy Until 2004
By Oleg Khe*
ALMATY (TCA). The National Bank of Kazakhstan has made basic public directions of the monetary policy for 2002-2004. Preliminary results for 2001 have been estimated: economic growth should exceed the parameter of 2000 (9.8 %) and make more than 10 % gain.   Read more 

Banking System Needs Efficiency and Hardwork
By Anja Peters
BISHKEK. Today the development of small and medium enterprises is on everybody`s lips. Nobody doubts about its importance. And what do entrepreneurs need? They need comparably flexible and easy loans. One of the best examples of the support to such businessmen is the World    Read more 

Leasing Comes to Central Asia

BISHKEK. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, promotes sustainable private investment in emerging economies to help reduce poverty and improve people?s lives. IFC stimulates the growth of private enterprises and the development of capital markets...   Read more 

Impossible to Keep: so Privatize
By Adil Akhmetov*
ALMATY (TCA). The Government and the National bank of Kazakhstan have rejected the new program of development of the securities market.    Read more 

World Bank Gives Credit to Kyrgyzstan
By Isabek Satybekov, IFC Capital
BISHKEK (TCA) Between December 12 and 18, 2001, trade in the inter-bank foreign exchange market of Kyrgyzstan totaled US $1.27 million. The som/dollar exchange rate was 48 som/dollar. The cash dollar rate was roughly 48 som/dollar.   Read more 

Business Game for Local Brokers
By Isabek Satybekov, IFC Capital
BISHKEK (TCA) Between December 5 and 11, 2001, trade in the inter-bank Foreign exchange market of Kyrgyzstan totaled US $0.46 million. The som/dollar exchange rate was 48 som/dollar.    Read more 

Kyrgyz Stock Exchange
By Elena Listvennaya, KSE press service
BISHKEK (TCA). In the first week of December, the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange (KSE) registered 99 deals with 159,964 corporate securities. These deals totaled 3,019,990.67 soms. Since the beginning of the year, trade had amounted to 637,542,023.65 soms (as of December 7).    Read more 

Kyrgyz Stock Exchange
By Elena Listvennaya, KSE press service
BISHKEK (TCA). Between November 26 and 30, 2001 the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange (KSE) registered 128 deals with 194,047 corporate securities. The deals totaled 10,466,348.48 soms.    Read more 

UzDaewoo Bank?s Crediting Program for SMEs

TASHKENT. The words of Islam Karimov, the President of Uzbekistan, that bank system should play the role of the locomotive and catalyst of the market reforms is relevant at present as well.   Read more 

Will Paris Club Reschedule Kyrgyzstan`s Debt?
By Isabek Satybekov, IFC Capital
BISHKEK (TCA) Between November 21 and 27, 2001 trade in the inter-bank foreign exchange market of Kyrgyzstan totaled US $1.01 million. The som/dollar exchange rate was 47.94 som/dollar.    Read more 

Kyrgyz Stock Exchange
By Elena Listvennaya, KSE press service
BISHKEK (TCA). Between November 19 and 23, 2001 the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange (KSE) registered 32 deals with 120,988 corporate securities. The deals totaled 5,723,150.58 soms. The lion`s share in trading was by two listed banks - Bank Bakai (1,816,360 soms) and Amanbank (1,655,000 soms).    Read more 

World Bank Report Sketches Reconstruction Challenges for Afghanistan
By Suzanne Miller
NEW YORK. A World Bank report says the cost of stabilizing Afghanistan will run into the billions of dollars and test the international community`s commitment to economic development.    Read more 

Asian Bank to Extend $600m Next Year
By Ihtashamul Haque
   Read more 

Kyrgyz Stock Exchange: Weekly Review
By Elena Listvennaya
BISHKEK. (TCA) Between October 22 and 26, the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange (KSE) registered 44 deals with 2,045,429 corporate securities of 21 companies. The deals totaled 2,130,687.54 soms.    Read more 

Banks Set to Cut Lending Rates
By Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI. Banks are ready to reduce their lending rates after a huge 2 per cent cut in the State Bank discount rate. But the lowering of their lending rates may not correspond with the cut in discount rate.    Read more 

Meeting of Kurulush Bank Creditors Illegitimate
By Isabek Satybekov, IFC Capital
BISHKEK. (TCA) Between October 3 and 9, 2001 trade in the inter-bank foreign exchange market of Kyrgyzstan totaled US$1.85 million.    Read more 

Banks Gain, Depositors Lose
By Sultan Ahmad
ISLAMABAD. Pakistan`s banking system malfunctions in such a manner that its transactions are for more profitable to the banks than to the depositors or the borrowers who are the backbone of the system.    Read more 

Foreign Currency Bonds Issued in Kyrgyzstan
By Isabek Satybekov
BISHKEK. (TCA) -- Between September 19 and 25, 2001 trade in the inter-bank foreign exchange market of Kyrgyzstan totaled US$4.08 million. The som/dollar exchange rate was 47.7 som/dollar.    Read more 

Withdrawals from NDFC Rise to Rs1.5bn
By Mohiuddin Aazim
KARACHI. People have withdrawn, within five working days, about Rs1.5 billion from the state-run National Development Finance Corporation, sources in NDFC told Dawn.    Read more 

US Missteps Seen In Wasted Investments ? CAAEF

NEW YORK. As Communism crumbled, the United States set up investment funds to foster start-up companies and other ventures in fledgling market economies. But many of these efforts were undermined, financial experts say, when Washington appointed individuals with little business experience ? politicians, lawyers and academics ? to make investment decisions.    Read more 

Kyrgyz Som Stable between January-July 2001

BISHKEK. (TCA) -- Between August 15 and 21, 2001 trade in the inter-bank forex market of Kyrgyzstan totaled US $797 thousand. The som/dollar exchange rate was 47.95 som/dollar. The cash dollar rate varied around 48.5-48.6 som/dollar. During this time, the National Bank purchased US $420,000.    Read more 

Download new Central Asia Desktops and Screen Savers.