DUSHANBE, January 9, 2015, Asia-Plus -- Remittance flows to Sughd province last year fell 7.2 percent as compared with 2013, Navrouz Valiyev, the head of the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT)’s branch in Khujand told journalists on January 8.

According to him, 1 billion U.S. dollars were remitted to the province last year, which is 200,000 U.S. dollars fewer than in 2013.

Meanwhile, the volume of loans provided by local banks last year increased by 20.9 percent as compared with 2013.

“The volume of small loans provided last year also increased last year,” said Valiyev.  “In 2014, local banks provided 1.9 billion somoni in small loans, which is 26.1 percent more than in 2013.”