DUSHANBE, February 1, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has helped improve technical and technological level of branches of Tajikistan’s savings bank, Amonatbonk, according to Amonatbobnk’s headquarters in Dushanbe.

In 2005, the IsDB awarded a US$240,000 grant to Amonatbonk for improvement of its technical and personnel policy.  “Due to this grant, 75 branches of Amonatbonk are now provided with all necessary systems and modern equipment,” said the source, “Besides, major part of Amonatbonk’s employees have taken various training courses both in Tajikistan and outside it.”

The Amonatbonk chairperson Gulnora Hasanova met with Hussein Zivalch, the IsDB chief specialist in pricing policy (as said), here on January 31.  The sides discussed prospects of further expansion of cooperation between the two banks.

Amonatbonk is the only state-owned bank in Tajikistan.  It is one of the oldest in the country (established in 1925) and one of the largest based upon various criteria - including the number of branches and the number of served clients.  The institution is unique in its orientation towards implementing social, pension and other state programs.  Amonatbonk has 5 regional centers, 75 branches and nearly 500 agencies. This gives the institution a presence in the most remote mountainous parts of the country.

Islamic Development Bank (also known as IsDB), is a multilateral development financing institution located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It was founded by the first conference of Finance Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), convened on December 18, 1973. The bank officially began its activities on 20 October 1975.  There are 54 shareholding member states.  The present membership of the Bank consists of 56 countries.  The basic condition for membership is that the prospective member country should be a member of the OIC, pay its contribution to the capital of the Bank and be willing to accept such terms and conditions as may be decided upon by the IsDB Board of Governors.