Albania on access to finance opportunities.

 Albania on access to finance opportunities.

Our second learning session in the #WesternBalkans was in Tirana, Albania on access to finance opportunities. Experts, partners, SMEs, financial institutions, and business advisory service providers from #Albania#Kosovo#Serbia, and #NorthMacedonia discussed how to better mobilize private capital for development, from the perspective of #fintech and #WSMES.

Speakers discussed how fintech can contribute to bridging the gap between what the traditional banking sector offers and what the modern business clients have grown to expect in terms of efficiency, speed, and better user experience the growing diversity. Fintech can unlock #capital needed for growth for SMEs in the region.

Our session devoted to women-owned/led businesses gave our partners and representatives from financial institutions, experts, and W-SMEs an opportunity to engage in a constructive discussion on challenges and opportunities regarding access to finance for long-term growth and job creation.

Many thanks to the US Embassy in Albania, USAID missions from partner countries, CATALYZE EOG’s partners, and ecosystem experts for supporting and joining the discussion, and to Cinar Akcin, Mila (Pejcic) MarkovicSandra Rodic, and Klodiana Ajazi for facilitating the knowledge exchange sessions.