Grazing grounds

Pres. Askar Akayev's capitalist slant towards 'privatization, low customs barriers' and a stable currency has enabled the development of a commercial banking sector in Kyrgyzstan. The country currently has 18 banks, five of which are foreign-owned in keeping with its thrust to liberalize foreign ownership of banks. The 1996 presidential elections, however, could put Akayev out of office.
Kyrgyzstan, a mountainous republic of 3.7 million people, just past Uzbekistan on the way to China's nuclear free-fire zone, does not at first glance seem like a rising international financial [...]