Donors & Partners

Donors

ACGF donors have contributed capital and provided the impetus for the establishment and growth of ACGF.

BMZ

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is committed to implementing Germany’s development policy abroad. Among its various development principles BMZ relies on fostering the developing countries’ sense of ownership. This principle, along with others, has been a focal point in economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Germany. Since 2001 Germany pledged around EUR 2.9 billion in development cooperation with Afghanistan. Currently, Germany is the third largest bilateral donor to Afghanistan and emphasizes, among other objectives, on the promotion of SMEs.

Since 2005, BMZ contributed financial resources and laid the grounds for the establishment of the CGF-A, predecessor of ACGF. BMZ has intensively facilitated the process of transition from the CGF-A to ACGF and ensured the governmental support for the transformation of the organization’s status from facility to foundation.

Ms. Katharina Weber serves as a representative of BMZ and the Vice Chairwoman of ACGF’s Board of Trustees. On behalf of BMZ, Ms. Katharina Weber participates in the foundation’s strategic decision-making and in providing auxiliary support.

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DEG / KfW

Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (DEG) is a 100% subsidiary of KfW, the German government-owned development bank. Since 1986, KfW has continuously counted with a Triple-A rating and repeatedly been ranked as the world’s safest bank.

Within KfW, DEG’s mandate is to finance and support private business initiatives in order to contribute to sustainable economic growth and improved living conditions in developing and transition countries. With a portfolio of around EUR 8 billion in more than 80 countries, DEG is one of Europe’s largest development finance institutions for the private sector.

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THE WORLD BANK

The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. The World Bank is a unique partnership with a goal to reduce poverty and support development. It is made up of 189 member countries. These member countries, or shareholders, are represented by a Board of Governors, who are the ultimate policymakers at the World Bank. Generally, the governors are member countries' ministers of finance or ministers of development.

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Ministry of Finance, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

The Ministry of Finance of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is specifically responsible for the management and execution of the budget, collection of taxes, organization and control of public expenditure and payments to the government. Among its various responsibilities, the Ministry of Finance influences, coordinates and manages international financial assistance to Afghanistan, a significant part of which is dedicated to improving access to finance for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The Ministry of Finance provides funding to ACGF within the framework of the World Bank projects – Access to Finance and Strengthening Afghanistan’s Financial Intermediation (SAFI). The expansion of credit guarantee, technical assistance, provision of matching grants and further impactful activities, which are implemented within the framework of these projects serve the ultimate goal of improving access to finance for MSMEs across Afghanistan, consequently unlocking the potential of the MSME sector to stimulate economic growth and enhance the livelihoods of the Afghan people.

Mr. Habib Daftani, a nominee from the Ministry of Finance, is a member of ACGF’s Board of Trustees. In this capacity she is involved in decision-making on the strategic matters of ACGF.

 

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Partners

ACGF’s business model strongly relies on close cooperation with its carefully-selected partners. ACGF continuously considers new partners focused on lending to the MSME sector.

Afghanistan International Bank

Afghanistan International Bank (AIB) was founded in 2004 and has since established itself as a pioneering leader in Afghanistan’s banking sector. Over the past twelve years AIB has built an enduring institution that combines international expertise with local knowledge, giving a deep-rooted understanding of customer needs that is grounded in the highest international standards and best practice. AIB was founded by three major financial groups active in the region:

  • Asian Development Bank (ADB), a multilateral development finance institution
  • Horizon Associates LLC, an investment company of the Mohib Group, a major commodities trader in the region
  • Wilton Holdings Ltd, part of the Rahmat Group, active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, focusing on the production of textiles, dry fruit processing, and trading operations.

Cooperation between AIB and the CGF-A started in 2006. It has successfully evolved into cooperation with ACGF and continues to develop on a systematic basis.

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The First MicroFinance Bank

The First MicroFinanceBank (FMFB) is part of the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance (AKAM), which has programmes in over 15 countries throughout the developing world. FMFB has a commercial banking license and started operations in 2004. Its prime objective in Afghanistan is to contribute to poverty alleviation and economic development though the provision of sustainable financial services to the poor and underserved.

In 2004, the urban portion of the Emergency Microfinance Programme in Kabul was converted into The First Microfinance Bank with an initial capital of USD 5 m invested by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) later joined by KfW. FMFB was the first of its kind under the country’s new regulatory structure and was granted license #001 under the new banking law in the autumn of 2003. In 2005, the urban portions of the emergency microfinance programme in Pul-i-kumri and Mazar-e-Sharif were also absorbed into FMFB.  Cooperation between FMFB and the CGF-A, the predecessor of ACGF, has started in 2006 and has been developing and has successfully transitioned to collaboration with ACGF in 2015. FMFB systematically submits guarantee applications to ACGF for loans from different regions of Afghanistan and covering a wide range of business sectors.

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FINCA

FINCA is a Kabul-based Micro Finance Institution (MFI), which offers five financial products to its target market, primarily financing working capital and short-term assets. Cooperation with FINCA-A is focused on technical assistance to strengthen its institutional capacity for SME-lending, process improvement and promote innovation.

 

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OXUS

OXUS Afghanistan is a registered as a Corporation, providing four different product types: collateral-free group loan product, small personal loan product, individual loan product and small and medium enterprise loan product. OXUS Afghanistan and was founded in 2007 by OXUS, a Paris-based network of microfinance institutions. The technical assistance project of OXUS Afghanistan is focused on reviewing and improving its SME-lending policy.

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Ghazanfar Bank

Ghazanfar Bank  is  a full fledged licensed commercial Bank, commenced its operations in March 2009. The Share Holders of the Bank belongs to one of the leading business groups of Afghanistan. As a leading business house Ghazanfar Group is involved in various key businesses sectors as a front runner such as import and distribution of Petroleum/Gas and other various important industrial sectors. Ghazanfar Bank started of its operation from Kabul, Afghanistan and is offering key financial services both under conventional and Islamic Banking. The Bank has since opened up its Branches at various key locations such as Mazar Sharif, Hairatan, Kunduz, Takhar, Pule- Khumri, Jalalabad, Herat besides opening another six branches at Kabul.

ACGF and Ghazanfar Bank haven been cooperating since 2018.

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