Ipoteka Bank Starts Factoring Self-Employed Income into Mortgage Approvals
Uzbekistan's Ipoteka Bank OTP Group has begun considering self-employment income alongside official salaries when assessing borrower creditworthiness.
Source: spot.uzMarket feed
Everything that happens
Every event in Central Asia's fintech market — briefly, with a link to the source. Analysis and explainers are in our news.
September 12
September 11
National Bank of Kyrgyzstan prints banknotes domestically for the first time
The National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic has produced 20- and 50-som banknotes domestically on its own for the first time.
Source: t.me/NBKR_newsYandex Qazaqstan has no plans to set up a bank, but is considering a payment organization license
Yandex Qazaqstan head Timur Shalkenov said the company does not plan to launch its own bank, but is exploring a payment organization license to streamline payouts to couriers and taxi drivers.
Source: kz.kursiv.mediaSeptember 10
NBU rolls out precious metal investment accounts for corporate clients
The National Bank of Uzbekistan has enabled companies to open unallocated metal accounts and invest in gold and silver online via its iBank platform.
Source: t.me/nbu_officialKazakhstan household savings rate hits record 11.7%
The savings rate of Kazakhstani households reached 11.7% in the first quarter of 2026—the highest figure on record, the National Bank reported in its August monetary policy report.
Source: kz.kursiv.mediaSeptember 9
Kazakh MFI profits drop 2.2 times in H1
Kazakhstani microfinance organizations posted 22.1 billion KZT in net profit in the first half of 2026—2.2 times less than in the same period of 2025.
Source: ranking.kzKazakhstani depositors turn to high-yield accounts as rates climb
In July 2026, retail deposits in Kazakhstani banks grew by 1.3%, with high-yield term and savings accounts accounting for 74% of all new tenge deposits.
Source: kapital.kzNBK: Loan demand from large and medium-sized businesses grows in Kazakhstan
In the second quarter of 2026, Kazakhstani banks recorded growing loan demand from large and medium-sized businesses, the National Bank reported based on a survey of lending institutions.
Source: nationalbank.kzSeptember 8
Halyk Bank paid top managers 4.5 billion tenge for 2025
Kazakhstani banks increased executive compensation, according to disclosures as of late summer 2026. Halyk Bank paid the largest amount at 4.5 billion tenge, followed by Bank RBK with 3.9 billion tenge and ForteBank with 1.9 billion tenge.
Source: kapital.kzUzbekistan's Kapitalbank launches Business Lady loan for women entrepreneurs
Uzbekistan's Kapitalbank, together with the company Hamroh, has launched the Business Lady loan program for women entrepreneurs with an interest rate of 20% per annum and an amount of up to 10 billion soums.
Source: kapitalbank.uzAuto Loan Applications in Kazakhstan Fall 9% in H1 2026
The Analytical Center of the Association of Financiers of Kazakhstan released an auto lending review for the first half of 2026, recording a 9% year-on-year drop in applications alongside a weighted average interest rate surge from 18.8% to 24.4%.
Source: kapital.kzNurbank updates tariffs and will close inactive current accounts
Kazakhstan's Nurbank has changed its standard tariffs and announced the closure of inactive customer current accounts.
Source: nurbank.kzSeptember 7
Kyrgyzstan's MBANK adjusts fees on Islamic financial products
Starting September 17, OJSC MBANK will revise commission fee rates and charitable donation amounts under Islamic Window financing agreements for retail and corporate clients.
Source: mbank.kgLoan Portfolio of Uzbek Banks Grows to 644.6 Trillion UZS
From January to July 2026, the total outstanding loan balance of Uzbekistan's banking system increased from 604.0 trillion UZS to 644.6 trillion UZS, or by 6.7%.
Source: t.me/centralbankuzbekistanMortgage Demand in Kazakhstan Drops 13.4% Year-on-Year
Mortgage applications in Kazakhstan fell 13.4% year-on-year to 419,200 in the first half of 2026, according to a review by the Association of Financiers of Kazakhstan.
Source: kapital.kzSeptember 5
Bank deposits in Uzbekistan surge 34% to 482.7 trillion soums
According to the Central Bank of Uzbekistan, deposits in the banking system reached 482.7 trillion soums as of August 1, 2026, rising 34% year-on-year, or by more than 122 trillion soums.
Source: uzdaily.uzSpitamen Bank opens branch in Kushoniyon
Tajikistan's Spitamen Bank has launched a new branch in the city of Kushoniyon to expand banking access for local residents.
Source: spitamenbank.tjSeptember 4
Otbasy Bank raises rate on AQYL educational deposit to 13.4%
Starting September 7, 2026, the interest rate on the AQYL educational savings deposit at Otbasy Bank will be 13.4 percent per annum, with an effective annual rate (AER) starting from 14.25 percent.
Source: tengrinews.kzHalyk-Life to distribute 65.1 million tenge in initial educational capital
Kazakhstani insurance company Halyk-Life has received a 65.1 million tenge tranche for the first half of 2026 from the operator of the State Educational Savings System, which will be credited to educational insurance policies within five days.
Source: kapital.kzOtbasy Bank issues first mortgage under the Umai women's program
Akmaral Moldalieva from Aktau has become the first Kazakhstani woman to receive a 20.3 million tenge loan under Otbasy Bank's Umai women's mortgage program to buy a two-room apartment.
Source: kz.kursiv.mediaSeptember 3
ForteBank and BI Group launch joint mortgage program
Kazakhstan's ForteBank and developer BI Group have signed a cooperation memorandum and launched a mortgage program for primary market homebuyers, featuring a down payment starting at 20% and loan amounts from 5 million to 100 million tenge.
Source: t.me/finmentorkzKazakhstan banks issue 3.8 trillion tenge in new loans in July
In July 2026, Kazakh banks issued 3.8 trillion tenge in new loans, up 10.7% from July 2025, according to the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market.
Source: kapital.kzLoan portfolio of Kazakhstan's microfinance sector falls to 3.1 trillion tenge in Q2
The loan portfolio of Kazakh microfinance organizations, pawnshops, and credit partnerships shrank by 0.6% to 3.1 trillion tenge in the second quarter of 2026.
Source: kapital.kzCorporate deposits in Kazakhstani banks reach 21.1 trillion tenge
As of August 1, 2026, corporate deposits in Kazakhstani banks totaled 21.1 trillion tenge, up by 559.2 billion tenge in July.
Source: ranking.kzAugust 31
Otbasy Bank explains technical glitch during Umay mortgage rollout
On August 31, applications opened in Kazakhstan for the Umay women's mortgage program, but the system ran into technical issues due to a high volume of borrowers.
Source: tengrinews.kzForteBank attracts 157.8 billion tenge in corporate deposits in July
In July, ForteBank increased corporate deposits by 157.8 billion tenge to 2.36 trillion tenge, ranking first among Kazakhstani banks in corporate deposit growth.
Source: t.me/bull_bellBereke Bank loses 15.9 billion tenge in retail deposits in July
In July, Kazakhstan's Bereke Bank lost 15.9 billion tenge in retail deposits, reducing their total volume to 862.8 billion tenge, marking the largest outflow among Kazakh banks that month.
Source: t.me/bull_bellAugust 30
Otbasy Bank Launches Solvency Verification for Mortgages in Aktobe
Kazakhstan's Otbasy Bank announced the launch of solvency verification for borrowers under its housing improvement program in Aktobe from August 31 to September 4, 2026.
Source: hcsbk.kzAugust 29
Central Bank of Tajikistan and Indian Ambassador Discuss Correspondent Banking Relations
National Bank of Tajikistan Chairman Firdavs Tolibzoda met with Indian Ambassador Rajesh Uike to discuss expanding bilateral banking cooperation, including payment system development and cross-border payments.
Source: nbt.tjState Social Insurance Fund pays out 464.7B tenge to over one million Kazakhstanis
Since the beginning of 2026, Kazakhstan's State Social Insurance Fund has disbursed 464.7 billion tenge in social benefits to over one million people, with the fund's assets reaching 1.47 billion tenge by August 1.
Source: kz.kursiv.mediaKapitalbank to migrate two branches' customer accounts to a single MFO code
Uzbekistan's JSCB Kapitalbank will hold a maintenance window on September 5–6 to migrate customer accounts from its Tashkent city branch and Chorsu branch from MFO codes 00445 and 01033 to a single MFO code, 01158.
Source: kapitalbank.uzAugust 26
Kazakhstani banks raise loan approval rate for large businesses to 65%
In the second quarter of 2026, the share of approved loan applications from large Kazakhstani companies rose by 10 percentage points to 65%, said Dinara Tzetdinova, acting director of the National Bank's financial stability and research department.
Source: kapital.kzAugust 25
SME Lending in Kazakhstan Grows 29.6% Year-on-Year
The National Bank of Kazakhstan reported that small and medium-sized business lending increased by 29.6% year-on-year, while the corporate portfolio rose by 17.1%, with 22 trillion tenge in loans issued to businesses over the past 12 months.
Source: inbusiness.kzKazakhstanis shift funds into term and savings deposits
In 2025, retail deposits in Kazakhstan exceeded 28 trillion tenge, rising by 14.7%, as Kazakhstanis increasingly shifted money into term deposits, which surged more than 14-fold, and savings deposits, up 1.5 times.
Source: kapital.kzKazakhstan narrows eligibility for 2% subsidized mortgages
On September 14, 2026, Kazakhstan changed the terms for subsidized mortgages at 2% and 5% annual interest, limiting the 2% rate to only eight categories of applicants on the housing waitlist: war veterans, orphaned children, individuals with Category 1 and 2 disabilities, families raising disabled children, widows, and mothers of large families with state awards.
Source: tengrinews.kzAugust 21
23 Uzbek banks to operate over August 22–23 weekend
The Central Bank of Uzbekistan published a list of banks whose branches will open over the weekend of August 22 and 23 for currency exchange and money transfers.
Source: spot.uzHUMO and APEX Bank roll out personalized debit card numbers
HUMO and APEX Bank have launched an option allowing customers to pick the last eight digits of their debit card numbers from available combinations during issuance.
Source: t.me/humoofficialAugust 20
Volume of Term Deposits in Kazakhstan Surges to 5.6 Trillion Tenge in Seven Months
Term deposits in Kazakh banks jumped fivefold since the start of the year—from 1.1 trillion to 5.6 trillion tenge, reported the Association of Financiers and Development of Kazakhstan.
Source: t.me/nb_kzHome Credit Bank cuts interest rates on grandfathered deposits by 4 pp
Home Credit Bank is cutting interest rates on deposits opened before October 2018 by 4 percentage points starting August 19, 2026.
Source: kz.kursiv.mediaKazakhstan banks see net profit drop 16% in January–July 2026
Combined net profit of Kazakhstan's banks fell by 16% or 269 billion tenge year-on-year to 1.398 trillion tenge in January–July 2026, marking the sharpest contraction since 2019.
Source: t.me/nb_kz