EBRD to provide Kazakhstan's Bank CenterCredit with $200 mln loan

ASTANA. March 16 (Interfax) - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will provide Kazakh Bank CenterCredit with a loan of up to $200 million, the EBRD's press service said.

"The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is supporting the development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Kazakhstan, including those owned or led by young people or women, and helping to improve access to green technologies by providing a financing package of up to $200 million (172.4 million euros) in local currency equivalent to the country's third largest commercial lender, Bank CenterCredit," the press service said.

This is the largest bilateral financing package the EBRD has ever provided to a bank in Kazakhstan, it said.

The package consists of four separate loans of up to $50 million (43.1 million euros) each.

The first loan aims to support MSMEs in Kazakhstan, which provide nearly 40% of GDP and provide jobs for 4.4 million people.

The second loan is provided under the EBRD's Women in Business program in Kazakhstan.

The third is under the EBRD's Youth in Business program for Central Asia. It is intended for MSMEs owned or led by persons under the age of 35.

The fourth loan is allocated under the Kazakhstan Green Economy Financing Facility II, which is designed to promote the use of renewable energy sources and help businesses and households reduce electricity consumption.

Kazakhstan is the EBRD's largest and longest-standing recipient of investments in Central Asia. To date, the EBRD has invested nearly $12 billion (10.2 billion euros) in Kazakhstan across 345 projects.

According to the National Bank of Kazakhstan, Bank CenterCredit ranks third in terms of assets among 23 Kazakh banks as of February 1, 2026. The main shareholders are the chairman of the board of directors, Bakhytbek Baiseitov (40.11%), and board member Vladislav Li (9.23%).