ALMATY.  January 12. KAZINFORM /Yekaterina Ionova/ The Alliance Bank JSC launches a special program on restructuring the loans of small and medium businesses. The representatives of the Bank announced it at a press conference in Almaty today.

The program which is planned to be implemented in two stages provides for a package of measures on reducing the debt load of the bank's borrowers - small and medium businessmen, Vice Chairman of the Board of the Bank Rinat Shamsutdinov said.

The first stage of the program will cover the period from January 15 to March 1 during which the problematic borrowers with over 60 day past-due payments will be able to restructure their loans.

This category of customers is provided with 15% rate of return in  U.S. dollars and Euro and at 16% in the tenge.  The term of the loan is prolonged up to 24 months.

The second stage will be implemented in the period from March 1 to May 1, 2010. The borrowers with no past-due payments as well as the customers who has less than 60 day past-due payments will be able to restructure their loans at this time. Such borrowers are provided with 14% rates of return in U.S. dollars and Euro and 15% in the tenge.

"Over 2, 400 borrowers are expected to be involved in the program's realization. Due to it they will lower their monthly payments by 30% in average", Karlygash Aralbekova, Director of the Small and Medium Businesses Department says.

The program does not cover the loans provided within the state programs on small and medium businesses support.