· Under the auspices of Chairman of ICF-SME and Ashur Bank Eng. Wadee Noori Al Handal, ICF-SME held its first Forum in the Kurdistan Region, at the International Hotel in Erbil, entitled “Expanding SME Access to Finance in Kurdistan. On the 5th of May”
This event was attended by 90 participants and speakers from the KRG and from the central government. Private sector representatives of businesses and banks were present as well as representatives of several international aid organizations.
The Forum’s objective was to strengthen links of cooperation with KRG to support private sector development through improved SME access to finance.
· ICF-SME also held two other events in Kurdistan prior to the Forum: the second general assembly meeting of shareholders on the 4th and the 6th advisory committee meeting on the 3rd.
· ICF-SME received the second $ 500.000 tranche of the INMA grant late in May 2010, and immediately disbursed funds to the two banks on lending to agricultural borrowers in Anbar province. This will increase the number of such loans beyond the May 31 total of 31 loans to an estimated 50 before the entire $1 million INMA grant is fully deployed.