CPI Funancial
by Robin Amlôt
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and the Union of Arab Banks (UAB) held a high-level conference in Tunis on 5 April 2012, highlighting the importance of lending to smaller businesses, an initiative designed to boost economic growth across the Maghreb region.
The conference brought together bankers, corporate executives, regulators and entrepreneurs from Tunisia, Morocco, Libya, Algeria, and Mauritania to discuss ways to make it easier for SMEs to access credit.
“Our partnership with IFC will help raise awareness about the potential of these companies and the benefits to lenders of helping them access finance,” said Wissam Fattouh, UAB Secretary General.
“Tunisia’s private sector is the main driver of economic growth in the country,” said Antoine Courcelle- Labrousse, IFC’s Country Officer in Tunisia. “A key to supporting it is extending financial services to small and medium businesses, which have tremendous potential but often find it difficult to access credit.”
The conference was part of IFC’s Advisory Services programme in the Middle East and North Africa, supporting private sector development across the region.
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