The Minister of Trade and Industry, Bajram Hasani has signed the agreement with the Swedish organization SIDA to support the Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund.
The Fund envisages 10m euros worth support, which will be in benefit to small and medium enterprises in Kosovo.
Minister Bajram Hasani, in his speech, said that the Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund is an important tool for promoting investment and employment.
Further, he added that we as the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) will continue to support this fund, and will consider all possibilities to expansion it. "MTI's policies are focused on creating stimulating conditions for the promotion of private sector development, especially for SMEs. In the development policies and strategies dominates a trend to develop manufacturing sector aim to transfer Kosovo companies from a competitive company to a manufacturing company. The Kosovo Guarantee Fund is a very important pillar of Kosovo's economic development, "said Minister Hasani.
The US Ambassador to Kosovo, Greg Delawie, expressed his support for this fund, and said that he is feeling happy that the Swedish Embassy is supporting the Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund. He said that the fund facilitates the creation of new markets, while he gave a particular emphasize to women entrepreneurs, for what he stated that all institutions should help their empowerment in entrepreneurship development.
While, Andres Wollter, Swedish Embassy representative, said the signing of this agreement is a continuation of the previous support that Sweden has given and still gives to Kosovo, together with USAID, KFW and other donors, but according to him, Kosovo has very important on this since has funded this fund by its own sources.
The Financial support in the amount of € 10 million for the Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund, according to Mr. Wollter, will help unlock the additional liquidity values in the banking system and that there is a long and annoying road to join a common market, but Kosovo will manage to be part of this market.
