Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund and Swedish International Development Agency -Sida sign the guarantee agreement

Today, Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund and Swedish International Development Agency Sida represented by Embassy of Sweeden in Prishtina, signed the guarantee agreement in amount 14.9 million euro.

In the event were present representatives from:  The Government of Kosovo; Central Bank of Kosovo; Embassy of Sweeden in Kosovo; Donors; Usaid, KfW, World Bank;  Commercial banks; Microfinance Institutions and many other partners and businesses.

Mr. Agan Azemi, Chair of the Board of Directors KCGF welcomed all guests in this very important event for the economy of Kosova.

Following are the statements of all speakers of the event.

STATEMENT Minister MINT

Minister Rozeta Hajdari emphasized:

“Let me emphasize that the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship, and Trade has been actively involved in the establishment of the KCGF from its very beginning. The Ministry has played a pivotal role in contributing to the drafting of the law of KCGF and providing the founding capital for the institution.

This new financial instrument, designed to guarantee funds, presents an additional opportunity to address the financing needs of private enterprises in Kosovo. The focus is on enhancing opportunities for green investments, businesses owned or led by women, and exporting enterprises.

Furthermore, I am pleased to note that the expansion of the KCGF and the increase in the loan portfolio for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have been recognized as achievements in the Progress Report of the European Commission.”

STATEMENT SIDA – Ambassador of Sweeden in Kosovo

The Swedish Ambassador Mr. Westerlund, underlined that “Our collective efforts with the Guarantee aims to achieve EUR 55 million in investments, the creation of 2,700 new jobs, enhanced gender equality in the business sector and the transition to a greener economy”.

STATEMENT GOVERNOR – CBK

The continuous increase of the capital of KCGF combined with re-guarantee schemes, including today’s re-guarantee agreement between KCGF and the Swedish Development Agency affects the expansion of access to finance, the increase of competition, the reduction of the financing gap with competetive conditions,  maintaining the level of non-performing loans and financial stability, which are also in line with the strategy and mandate of the CBK.

The CBK considers the Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund of Kosova ( KCGF) as a very important mechanism to maintain and further advance the objective of a stable financial system, with an impact on supporting the overall economy. Therefore, the cooperation will expand and  strengthen in the interest of implementing these objectives.

STATEMENT KCGF

“We are delighted to announce the signing of an agreement with the Swedish International Development Agency – Sida. This collaboration signifies a strengthened partnership between our two entities, dedicated to enhancing cooperation for the betterment of the country’s economy.

This milestone underscores our institution’s commitment to fostering economic growth and sustainability in Kosovo, complemented by Sida’s ongoing support.

The agreement signed today marks our second collaboration with Sida since 2018, when the initial agreement, valued at 10 million euros, was successfully executed by enabling lending around 40 million euros. The guaranteed agreement finalized today, totaling 14.9 million euros, serves as further evidence of our commitment to provide credit guarantees for businesses. The resultant stability is anticipated to facilitate access to finance for MSMEs with an impact on lending opportunities up to 55 million euro.

The opportunities provided by the Re-Guarantee agreement signed today will pave the way for offering more favorable conditions for re-guaranteed loans through KCGF windows such as: “Window for women in business”; “Export Window” and “GROW Window”.

Mr. Besnik Berisha, Managing Director of KCGF held the presentation with more extensive information about today’s agreement. The ceremony ended with the signing of the agreement between KCGF- represented by Mr. Besnik Berisha Managing Director and Sida – represented by Mr. Jonas Westerlund – Ambassador of Sweden in Kosovo.