INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The World Bank has declared that it has allocated $16 million to support small businesses in Afghanistan, focusing on women-owned
enterprises and businesses led by them.The World Bank stated Wednesday through a press release that this assistance will be directly
disbursed to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) via the Aga Khan Foundation in the USA.Melinda Good, World Bank country
director for Afghanistan, emphasized that &supporting small financial providers in Afghanistan is one of the few actionable options
currently available to enhance access to financial resources in Afghanistan, especially for women.&She said, &This project aims to
strengthen the small financial sector in Afghanistan so that owners of small businesses and women-led enterprises can access the necessary
financial credit to rebuild their businesses, rebuild their lives, and contribute to the revival of the private sector.&The World Bank
stated that the Afghanistan Credit Guarantee Foundation was established in 2004 and added that the bank is striving to increase access to
financial resources in Afghanistan for small and medium-sized enterprises by providing credit guarantees and technical assistance.This comes
as support for women in the private sector, especially in investment and trade, has increased from international organizations.The World
Bank report stated that this project will be concentrated in 15 provinces of Afghanistan, including Badakhshan, Balkh, Bamyan, Daikundi,
Faryab, Herat, Jawzjan, Kabul, Kunduz, Nangarhar, Parwan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, and Takhar.It is worth mentioning that this project in
Afghanistan will be implemented through the Aga Khan Foundation and the Afghanistan Credit Guarantee Foundation.The World Bank has stated
that the goal of aligning this project is to support &enhancing the financial resilience and growth of small providers and
companies.&Additionally, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has announced the alignment of several projects to create job
opportunities for women and emphasized that aligning projects strengthens the economy of Afghanistan and enables women entrepreneurs to
manage their businesses.The post World Bank allocates $16 million to support women-led businesses in Afghanistan first appeared on Ariana
