Afghanistan Banks Association

د افغانستان د بانکونو ټولنه
Afghanistan Banks Association
Voice of The Banks

Afghanistan Banks Association

Access to Finance Business to Banks Roundtable, in Health Sector Held in Kabul

Date: January 16, 2017


Financial Access for Investing in the Development of Afghanistan (FAIDA) in partnership with USAID’s Health Sector Resiliency (HSR) in collaboration with Ministry of Public Health and Private Health Sector Associations and Afghanistan Banks Association (ABA) organized a one-day Access to Finance (A2F) Business to Bank (B2B) Roundtable and exhibition Financing Businesses in, Kabul today, January 16, 2017.

The main objectives:
Improve access to finance for private health sector through targeted roundtable discussions and meetings between relevant stakeholders;
• Link private health sector with the financial institutions and mobile network operators;
• Create new jobs and enhance private health services for Afghans;
• Provide health enterprises a platform to promote their products or services to a broader group
that may have little or no knowledge of their products and services as well as reaching out to their existing clients.
• Provide opportunity for financial institutions to update health companies on their products/services for absorption of potential customers and expansion of lending.

The roundtable specifically targeted the health sector enterprises functioning in Kabul city by facilitating access to finance through linking them with potential lenders and insurance companies. The roundtable provided the private health enterprises with the opportunity to exchange viewpoints in identifying challenges and opportunities to improve their productivity and access to finance. The event was attended by Deputy Minister Health and other representatives from the public and private health sector, representatives from Afghanistan Private Hospital Associations (APHA), Afghanistan Medical Technologist Association, Afghanistan Medicine Services Union (AMSU) Afghan Midwives Associations (AMA), Afghan Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AFSOG), Labs Association, Insurance Companies, Afghanistan Banks Association (ABA), Commercial banks, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Government Officials and Non-Governmental Organizations.

Banks, provided with a free space (a desk for each Bank (to meet with potential clients, private companies in health and conduct business meetings.
Mr. Najibullah Amiri ABA Executive Director, delivered a presentation on ABA achievements and role of banks in supporting business investments and economic growth through access to finance. Subsequently, Mr. Edrees Alimy Research and Communication Officer ABA, joined panel discussion and responded participant’s questions regarding banks loans/credit.

The following ABA member banks attended the event.
1. ACB
2. AIB
3. AUB
4. Arian Bank
5. Azizi Bank
6. Bakhtar Bank
7. Bank-e-Millie Afghan
8. Ghazanfar Bank
9. Habib Bank
10. Maiwand Bank
11. New Kabul Bank
12. Pashtany Bank

Out of 12 banks, 6 member banks namely AUB, ACB, Bakhtar Bank, Azizi Bank, Ghazanfar Bank and Pashtany bank delivered presentation on their banks products and services.
At the end, round table was held between banks and businessmen in health sector, discussions were mad in details on how to get banks loans and services.