SMEs can now benefit from Dutch development instruments

TIRANA, Nov. 4 – Albanian SMEs can now benefit from three Dutch instruments for private sector development. The instruments were introduced in a recent seminar on ‘Doing business with the Netherlands’ where Dutch Ambassador to Albania Martin de la Beij praised the positive relationship with Biznes Albania Association and highlighted the commitment of the Netherlands in further strengthening Dutch-Albanian cooperation in business domain. Ambassador De la Beij considers the SME-s to be the engine of economy both in the Netherlands and Albania and reiterated the attention of participants towards Dutch instruments for Private Sector Development. During the seminar, three instruments for Private Sector development open to Albanian SME`s, were presented: the Senior Expert Programme PUM, the Matchmaking Facility (MMF) and the Private Sector Investment (PSI) programme.
Luan Bregasi, the head of Biznes Albania Association underlined the importance of the Albanian SMEs in exploring new markets and cooperation opportunities.
Meanwhile, Vice Prime Minister Niko Peleshi introduced the approach of the Albanian government paying special attention to the private sector development and the commitment to contribute to a better business climate and increased competitiveness and fight against corruption in Albania. Deepening the Dutch-Albanian trade relations was also another dimension shared with the participants.
The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana, which represents Dutch interests in Albani, works closely together with Agency NL (Agentschap NL) to facilitate the accession of Dutch companies and investors to the Albanian market, and vice versa. Agency NL is part of the Ministry of Economic affairs, Agriculture and Innovation and works in close cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Although the SME sector in Albania is estimated to account for 99 percent of total business registrations, the SME share of the total credit to the economy is only estimated at 25 percent (including microcredit), says London-based EBRD which is one of the key supporters to SME financing in Albania.