Italy gave 3.9mn euros in soft loans to smaller Albanian firms in 2009

TIRANA, Feb 04؁ credit line from Italy supplied 16 Albanian small- and medium-sized enterprises with a total of 3.9 million euros in soft loans, the domestic Lajmi newspaper reported.
The 30-million-euro project was financed by the Italian government, comprising 25 million euros in soft loans, 2.5 million euros for creation of a guarantee fund for smaller firms, and a 2.5-million-euro grant for technical assistance to the economy ministry and other institutions, the newspaper said.
The program aims to foster economic and social growth in Albania, supporting the access of smaller firms to the credit system and enhancing the economy, it added.