Tashkent- Risk Management Forum Convened

FinPower held its 4th CEO Policy Forum, focusing on risk management in agriculture and rural lending in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on June 16. The forum was conducted interfacing with the 17th APRACA General Assembly and the 58th APRACA Executive Committee meetings.

APRACA FinPower has conducted since 2007 four CEO Policy Forums in as many years, focusing on rural finance policy and regulatory framework, participatory dialogue and the impact of the financial crisis on key rural finance stakeholders and now on risk management.

This CEO Policy Forum focused on risk management: risks as they are affecting the rural population involved in agriculture, fisheries and forestry as well as risks as they are affecting rural financial institutions’ viability, sustainability and their capacity to provide continuous access to financial products and services by their clients.

The forum intended to a) to take stock of the status of risk reducing, risk mitigating and risk coping strategies and mechanisms of farmers, fishermen and forest dwellers as well as the risk management strategies employed by rural financial institutions to protect the institution as well as its clients; b) to identify innovations and best practices; c) share experiences in risk management; and finally d) to activate a recommended regional plan of action and corresponding national plans of action for further strengthening risk-reducing, risk-mitigating and risk-coping mechanisms.

The forum was opened by Central Bank of Uzbekistan Deputy Chairrman Shukhrat Khaydarov, with complimentary address from Open Joint-Stock Commercial Bank “AgroBank” of Uzbekistan Chairman Abdurakhmat Boymuratov (APRACA Vice-Chairman) and vote of thanks by NABARD Chairman Umesh Sarangi. VBARD Chairman and outgoing APRACA Chairman Pham Thanh Tan delivered his closing address.

Papers were presented by NABARD Executive Director S. K. Mitra, ACPC Deputy Executive Director Ramon Yedra, BAAC Executive Vice-President Kamolpant Asaves, National Agricultural Cooperative Federation Division Chief You-Kyung Kim, Open Joint-Stock Commercial Bank “AgroBank”Agricultural Loans Department Head Utkir Butaev and IFAD Rural Poverty Reduction Program, Mongolia Programme Support Unit Director Mr. Dagva Dalaintiyam. Close to 100 delegates attended the forum.