A new report by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) and JP Morgan shows that despite the global financial crisis, microfinance institution (MFI) equity valuations continued to rise across all regions during 2009. Continue Reading »

AccessBank, a microfinance institution (MFI) located in Azerbaijan, has issued shares worth AZN 20 million, the equivalent of over USD 24.8 million. Continue Reading »

The Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), the microfinance information clearinghouse, recently released its third annual ranking of microfinance institutions (MFIs), The Mix Global 100. Continue Reading »

According to a recent press release, AccessBank, a microfinance institution (MFI) located in Azerbaijan, now has a loan portfolio that is over USD 300 million and over 100,000 customers. Continue Reading »

According to a Georgian Business Week article, the Georgian microfinance sector saw profits of GEL 16 million, the equivalent of over USD 9.3 million, in 2009. Continue Reading »

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an international finance institution, recently loaned USD 25 million to UniCredit Leasing Ukraine, the Ukrainian arm of the international leasing company UniCredit Leasing, in an effort to increase loans to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The loan to a leasing company indicates that the EBRD sees value in leasing as a form of financing for SMEs that are unable to purchase equipment outright. Continue Reading »

Fitch Ratings, a global credit ratings agency, has released its ratings of ProCredit Bank of Bosnia & Herzegovina (PCBiH) and ProCredit Bank of Kosovo (PCBK). Continue Reading »

The European Commission has officially launched the EUR 100 million (USD 135 million) “European Progress Microfinance Facility,” which was approved by members of the European Council and European Parliament. Continue Reading »

The Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), the microfinance information clearinghouse, recently released the 2009 Eastern Europe and Central Asia Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report. Continue Reading »

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have reached an agreement on the sources of funding for the EUR 100 million (USD 139 million) ‘European Progress Microfinance Facility’. Continue Reading »

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev recently signed a decree into law passed by the Azerbaijani legislature last December. The law aims to increase the access that citizens in rural regions have to financial resources, especially providing financial support for microentrepreneurs and strengthening the legal foundation for non-bank credit organizations (NBCOs). Continue Reading »

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an international finance institution, the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO), a public-private development bank, the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), a Taiwanese fund that aims to encourage international economic development, and five commercial banks loaned a combined EUR 50 million (the equivalent of USD 68 million) to Garanti Bank, a Turkish commercial bank, to increase loans to micro-, small, and medium sized enterprises (MSMEs). Continue Reading »

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an international financial institution, and the European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a microfinance investment fund, recently loaned USD 10 million to ProCredit Bank Moldova, a development-oriented bank. Continue Reading »

According to a new report from CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) and the U.K.’s Department for International Development (DFID) entitled, ‘Banking the Poor via G2P Payments,’ existing government payment programs could bring many more poor people into the formal financial services system. Continue Reading »

The Microfinance Association (MA), an international membership organization for practitioners in the microfinance industry, has launched its Global Academy Program (GAP). Continue Reading »

Mr Celestino Corbacho, the Spanish Employment Minister, recently announced that the European Commission is working on a plan to provide EUR 100 million (USD 139 million) in microloans to unemployed youth under the age of 25 and the long-term unemployed. Continue Reading »

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a microfinance investment fund, recently loaned EUR 7 million (the equivalent of USD 9.6 million) to NLB Razvojna banka, a financial institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Continue Reading »

Event Name: C5’s Microfinance and Small Enterprise Investments Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) Regional Summit

Event Date: April 15 - April 16, 2010

Event Location: Budapest, Hungary

Event Website: http://www.microfinanceeeca.com/

See Our Comprehensive Event Calendar Here: http://microfinanceassociation.ning.com/events

Cost: Prices range from GBP 399 to GBP 1598 (USD 620 to USD 2480). Prices vary with the type of organization the attendee represents and whether the attendee wishes to participate in the workshop in addition to, or instead of, the conference. See http://www.microfinanceeeca.com/price.html for more details

Summary of Event:

The two-day conference and workshop will address issues ranging from the effects of the global financial crisis on microfinance institutions (MFIs) to opportunities for commercial banks to begin offering microcredit. Continue Reading »