India’s finance ministry reportedly has cleared the draft of a microfinance bill following its public circulation for comments in July 2011 [1]. Continue Reading »
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MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indian Finance Ministry Clears Draft Microfinance Bill, Considers Engaging Post Office Banks to Promote Financial Inclusion
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Australia Funds Financial Education Curriculum Development Project (FinED) to Serve Fiji’s Primary and Secondary Schools
In 2012, the Financial Education in the Curriculum Development Project in Fiji (FinED Fiji) will be piloted at twelve local primary schools. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation (HKMC) to Launch Pilot Microfinance Program in China
The Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited plans to launch a three-year pilot microfinance program in mid-2012. The program would offer three types of loans: (1) micro-business start-up loans, with a maximum amount of HKD 300,000 (USD 38,700); (2) self-employment loans with a maximum amount of HKD 200,000 (USD 25,800); and (3) “self-enhancement” loans for education with a maximum amount of HKD 100,000 (USD 12,900). Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indian Microfinance Institution Ujjivan Financial Services Raises $25m in Equity from FMO, Wolfensohn, LOK, IFIF, Sequoia, Unitus, Elevar
Indian microfinance institution (MFI) Ujjivan Financial Services has raised INR 127.9 crore (USD 25 million) in its fifth round of equity financing. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Malaysian Chinese Association Launches $16.4m Microloan Fund to Train, Finance Entrepreneurs in Malaysia
In an effort to promote and train entrepreneurs, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a political party in Malaysia, launched a MYR 50 million (USD 16.4 million) microloan fund in January 2012. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ICRA Raises Rating for Arohan Financial Services Pass Through Certificates For $1.4m Securitization of Microfinance Loans
ICRA, an Indian investment information and credit rating agency, has conditionally raised the rating of a pool of pass through certificates (PTCs) for loans provided by Arohan Financial Services Private Limited, an India-based microfinance institution. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Credit Bureau Cambodia Launched to Facilitate Information Sharing Among Banks, Microfinance Institutions
The Association of Banks in Cambodia (ABC) and the Cambodian Microfinance Association (CMA), two trade associations with a combined membership of 64 financial institutions, have formed a joint venture with New Zealand-based credit bureau developer Veda Advantage to launch the Credit Bureau (Cambodia) Company Limited (CBC), which will maintain a database of credit information intended to help banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs) in making “accurate loan decisions based on borrower’s positive and negative credit history” [1]. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Provides $2.71m Loan Guarantee to Cambodian Microfinance Institution Thaneakea Phum to Support Agriculture
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has signed a four-year agreement to provide a 50-percent guarantee on a loan of up to USD 2.71 million for Cambodian microfinance institution Thaneakea Phum (Cambodia) Limited (TPC). Sok Voeun, TPC’s chief operations officer, reportedly said that USAID “will support us in providing more loans to the agriculture sectors in the four provinces” referring to Kampong Thom, Pursat, Battambang and Siem Reap. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Development Seed, Key2Flex Offer Geospatial Technology Services to Analyze Availability of Financial Services in Developing Countries
Geospatial mapping is being used to show the geographic distribution of banks, automated teller machines (ATMs) and banking agents in relation to low-income and other population groups, thus giving an indication of the accessibility of financial services to those groups. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oxfam International, Symbiotics Launch Small Enterprise Impact Investment Fund for Asia, Africa
UK-based relief agency Oxfam International and Swiss for-profit microfinance investment intermediary Symbiotics have jointly launched the Small Enterprise Impact Investment Fund (SEIIF) that will increase access to credit for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Asia and Africa while offering investors both “measurable social impacts and financial returns” [1]. Continue Reading »
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Invest in Mekong Region Marketplace, Siem Reap, Cambodia, February 23, 2012
Event Name: Invest in Mekong Region Marketplace
Event Date: February 23, 2012
Event Location: Khemara Angkor Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia Continue Reading »
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Willingness to Pay for Business Correspondents in India, Health Microinsurance Third Party Payment Mechanisms, Accenture Development Partners Report on Microinsurance
“The Answer is ‘Yes’—Cost and Willingness to Pay in India;” by Akhand Tiwari, Akhilesh Singh, Ann-Byrd Platt, Graham A N Wright, Minakshi Ramji and Sachin Bansal; published by MicroSave; 2011; 16 pages; available at http://ami.microsave.org/sites/default/files/research_papers/CWP_Summary… Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Technical Assistance Facility of Incofin Rural Impulse Fund II Receives $2.4m from French Public Finance Institution Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
The Agence Française de Développement (AFD), a French public development finance institution, has donated EUR 1.8 million (USD 2.4 million) in technical assistance (TA) funding to Incofin Rural Impulse Fund II. Valued at EUR 120 million (USD 173 million), Rural Impulse Fund II is one of two funds managed by Belgium’s Incofin Investment Management that invest in rural microfinance institutions [1]. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Reports 198 Banks Have Lent $165m to 964k Borrowers in the Philippines
According to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) the central bank of the Philippines, 198 banks in the Philippines have lent PHP 7.15 billion (USD 165 million) to 963,717 microborrowers during the year ending June 2011. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indian Health Insurer Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) Boosts Client Retention With Discounted Outpatient Services, Also to Launch Cashless Health Delivery With Swasth India
Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), an education and development organization based in Mumbai, India, has found that offering discounted outpatient services to health insurance clients is linked with customer retention. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Microfinance Institutions in China Report $58b in Outstanding Loans
As of November 2011, China’s microfinance industry reportedly included 4,144 microfinance institutions with CNY 23 billion (USD 3.6) in profits and CNY 369.4 billion (58 billion) of outstanding loans. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: “SPM in Microfinance 24*7 Helpline” Offers Advice to Front-Line Workers Regarding Social Performance Management
Founded in 2011 in India, “SPM in Microfinance 24*7 Helpline” is an online resource that aims to help institutions and individuals worldwide with issues related to social performance management (SPM) in microfinance [1]. Continue Reading »
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Cambodian Government: Microfinance Interest Rates of Up to 50 Percent Threaten Loss of Land, “Social Instability”
Cambodian government officials reportedly are looking to negotiate down the interest rates on microfinance loans, arguing that current rates are unsustainable for the country’s rural farming population and that defaults are causing many farmers to become landless. [1] Continue Reading »













