DFC to grant Serbian SMEs loans with 10-year-repayment period
25/01/2021
Investment and working capital loans guaranteed by the International Finance Development Corporation (DFC) from the U.S. could be available to Serbian SMEs by mid-year. The guarantee scheme, in the amount of about one billion dollars, will be agreed by the end of the first quarter, and by the end of the second quarter, it could be available to commercial companies and banks.
This was announced by Siniša Mali, Serbian Minister of Finance, after the signing of the Interstate Agreement on Investment Promotion, which is a prerequisite for the DFC to start its activities (which opened an office in Belgrade in September) and the confirmation of the validity of the Washington Agreement, signed in September.
‘AfCFTA a great leap forward for Africa’
Cliff Chiduku
RECENTLY-APPOINTED African Union (AU) representative to the United States (US) ambassador Hilda Suka-Mafudze (HSM) says Africa has the potential to attain Agenda 2063 if it gets its act together. Last week, she spoke with NewsDay (ND) senior reporter Cliff Chiduku about how COVID-19 has impacted Africa-US relations, and the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), among other issues.
ND: Can you give a brief profile of yourself?
HSM: I am a seasoned diplomat and political expert with over two decades of practical experience in the execution, monitoring and liaison in African political affairs. I hold a Masters of Arts degree in International Relations from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Sociology and Gender Development from Women’s University in Africa, Zimbabwe. I also hold various certificates in network leadership, diplomacy and mediation, among