In response to the global financial crisis, European Bank for reconstruction and Development announced plans to increase the availability of financing to the Kazakh economy with a 50 million Euro credit line to Bank CenterCredit (BCC), for on-lending to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), reads a press release. One of the first privatised banks in Kazakhstan, BCC is currently the fifth largest financial institution in the country, with a nationwide network and a strong focus on MSME financing. The new credit line will support supporting the growth of private businesses in Kazakhstan, which are currently facing limited access to financing due to banks’ liquidity constraints. The fund would be utilized to finance the operations of micro, small and medium-sized businesses in Kazakhstan with loans of up to 500,000 Euro. Building on BCC’s extensive branch network, the credit line will focus especially on companies operating outside of Almaty and Astana, the financial and the administrative capitals of Kazakhstan, respectively.