Meeting on the Sovereign Guarantee Scheme for the Agricultural Sector: Progress Assessed and Future Perspectives Discussed
On February 10, 2026, the Albanian Association of Banks (AAB) and the Chief Executive Officers of commercial banks operating in the country participated in a discussion meeting together with the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Albania, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, on the “Sovereign Guarantee Scheme for the Agricultural Sector – Progress Review and Future Perspective.”
The meeting was held as part of the ongoing institutional dialogue on the utilization of the Sovereign Guarantee Scheme and the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Financing Program (PFBVM), with the aim of supporting the agricultural sector and increasing access to finance for farmers, agricultural enterprises, and micro, small, and medium-sized businesses. Discussions focused on assessing the progress achieved to date, identifying operational challenges, and defining concrete measures to enhance the effectiveness and uptake of these financial instruments.
Representatives of the banks, fully supporting the agricultural financing scheme and the sovereign guarantee credit instrument, and building on the efforts and experience gained over the past year, proposed several improvements to the program. These included extending loan maturities, making the grace period optional, clarifying the alignment between the farmer’s commercial and fiscal status, addressing the presence of informality, ensuring more coordinated and intensive marketing to increase awareness of the product, and providing clearer definitions of eligible investments. The Minister of Finance welcomed the proposals and affirmed that efforts will be made to reflect them in the program.
Banks also highlighted that a number of additional applications are currently under evaluation, reflecting the growing potential of this instrument to support financing in the agricultural sector.
Participating institutions and the banking sector reaffirmed their commitment to close and sustainable cooperation, with the aim of improving access to finance, encouraging investment, and supporting the development of the agricultural sector, thereby contributing to the country’s sustainable economic growth.
