Burov Abdujabor, who runs his small ‘dekhan’ or family farm in Vahdat as it coincides with their planting and sowing season. “We used to do our work by hand,” he explained. “Then we bought tractors. We have three now and that really makes our lives easier.”
His equipment comes from Agrotechservice, a small business which received a US$ 1 million loan from the EBRD as well as valuable advice on its accounting systems. The project was possible due to the financial support of the Bank’s Small Business Impact Fund, to which Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland, Taipei China, and the USA contribute.
Just like Mr. Abdujabor, Jalolidin Nuraliev also had big plans for the future. He is the General Director of Agrotechservice.
“Our ambition has always been to develop a business which can build and supply equipment to our farmers here in Tajikistan and elsewhere,” he said. “The investment really made all the difference to us. We could finally turn this dream into a reality.”
The production line and showroom are based in Hissar, a historic town about 45 minutes away from the capital Dushanbe. The success of a company such as Agrotechservice has a direct positive impact on the local population since it provides new opportunities for jobs.
“Helping small businesses grow is one of our main priorities in Tajikistan,” said Ayten Rustamova, the Head of the EBRD’s Dushanbe office. “Our team invested a lot of effort in getting Agrotechservice ready for the loan – for example by providing the business with consultancy support under our Accounting Improvement Programme to help it meet higher financial reporting standards. We also provided legal support to the company.”
“Agriculture is one of the main sectors of activity and employment across the country, so this really is a prime example of how the EBRD can help a promising company grow and develop Tajikistan’s economy,” she added.
