EFSE Reconfirms Support for Small Business in
Southeast Europe
l EFSE prepared to provide additional EUR 900 million of financing to local financial institutions
l EFSE Annual Meeting 2010 to take place in Ohrid – responsible finance key theme
May 26, 2010 06:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time
SKOPJE, Macedonia--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), one of
the world’s largest microfinance funds, reconfirmed the support it would give to small business in Southeast Europe
at a press conference held today in Skopje, FYR Macedonia. The conference came in preparation for the Fund’s
Annual Meeting to be held from June 8-10, 2010 in Ohrid, FYR Macedonia, with more than 200 participating
development finance experts, banking and finance practitioners from all over the world. The Meeting will address
various aspects of responsible business practices in the financial sector. EFSE announced that, over the next five
years, it is prepared to provide an additional EUR 900 million of financing to financial institutions in the region of
Southeast Europe for on-lending. The money is specifically meant to finance scarce long-term loans to small
business, in particular to micro and small enterprises (MSEs), as well as housing improvement loans to low-income
private households.
The investments will enable commercial banks and those specialised on small business as well as microfinance
institutions in Southeast Europe to address the financing demands of the local small business sector and the demand
for better quality housing from low-income, private households. It will also help them to provide medium and longer-
term business loans for investments and working capital purposes and to support home improvement, enlargement,
(re-)construction and purchase, with maximum loan amounts of up to EUR 100,000.
“EFSE has chosen Macedonia as the host of our Annual Meeting to send a clear signal of our commitment to this
country and the region of Southeast Europe as a whole. Small bu