Afghanistan Microfinance Association (AMA) organized a regional coordination meeting in Balkh province, Mazar-i-Sharif city, on July 1, 2025. The meeting was attended by Regional and Branch Managers of The First Microfinance Bank, OXUS Microfinance Institution, Mutahid Microfinance Institution, Ghazanfar Bank, and the AMA team.
During the meeting, participants discussed key opportunities and challenges faced by the microfinance sector in the province. They collectively requested AMA to strengthen its role in lobbying, advocacy, coordination, and networking at the provincial level to improve sector wide collaboration and impact.
Following the regional coordination meeting, the AMA team met with the Deputy Governor of Balkh province to highlight the importance of microfinance program at the national level, particularly their role in supporting MSMEs, generating employment, and ultimately reducing poverty. The discussion emphasized how microfinance initiatives are positively transforming lives by enabling low-income individuals and small entrepreneurs to access financial services, start or expand businesses, and achieve economic independence thereby contributing to Afghanistan’s socio-economic development.
The Deputy Governor expressed his full support for the microfinance sector in Balkh province and encouraged MFIs to openly share any challenges they encounter during program implementation. He further committed to directly engaging with provincial authorities to resolve issues and ensure an enabling environment for microfinance institutions to thrive and continue delivering impact at the grassroots level.
