Mr Ahmed El Bardai, founder and chief executive of the Egyptian for-profit microfinance institution (MFI) Reefy, expects the country’s next government to focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to boost the economy that is facing a huge budget deficit and declining gross domestic product [1]. Continue Reading »
Event Name: “Real” Banking for the Real Economy: Can Values-based Banking Sustainably Finance the Future?
Event Date: September 22, 2011; 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Event Location: Washington, DC, USA Continue Reading »
Indian microfinance institution (MFI) Bandhan Financial Services Private Limited (Bandhan) reportedly plans to apply for a banking license after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) finalizes its new guidelines for establishing new banks [1]. Continue Reading »
Event Name: Present and Future of Microfinance: Transparency, Client Protection and Social Impact for a Sustainable Growth
Event Date: October 24, 2011
Event Location: Milan, Italy Continue Reading »
Indian microfinance institution (MFI) Bandhan Financial Services Private Limited recently raised INR 135 crore (the equivalent of USD 29 million) from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-investment arm of the World Bank Group [1]. Continue Reading »
Absolute Portfolio Management GmbH, an Austrian investment company that specializes in microfinance, recently reported that the Dual Return Fund – Vision Microfinance Local Currency, a sub-fund of Absolute’s Vision Microfinance that provides loans to microfinance institutions (MFIs) exclusively in local currencies, made debt investments totaling the equivalent of USD 1.5 million in unnamed MFIs in Colombia and the Dominican Republic [1]. Continue Reading »
responsAbility Social Investments AG, a Swiss investment company that manages four microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), recently reported to MicroCapital that it has made debt investments totaling the equivalent of USD 2.5 million in microfinance institutions Asian Credit Fund LLP of Kazakhstan, Bank Eskhata (Eskhata) of Tajikistan and XacLeasing, a sister company of Mongolian microfinance institution XacBank [1]. Continue Reading »
Axis Bank Foundation (ABF), the corporate social responsibility arm of India-based Axis Bank, and Bandhan Konnagar, the non-profit branch of Indian microfinance institution Bandhan Financial Services Private Limited (Bandhan), have collaborated to launch Axis Bank Bandhan Holistic Assistance (ABHA), to provide financial, health and support services to the “poorest of the poor” in two districts in the Indian state of West Bengal. Continue Reading »
The Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative (PSDI), an initiative established in 2006 by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), recently outlined in its annual report its efforts to “encourage private sector led sustainable economic growth” in developing countries in the Pacific by “improving access to financial services, updating business laws and upgrading the delivery of services by state-owned enterprises (SOEs).” Continue Reading »
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), a development finance institution based in the United Kingdom, has agreed to make a three-year loan of KGS 180 million (USD 4 million) in Kompanion Financial Group Microfinance Closed Joint Stock Company, a Kyrgyz microfinance institution (MFI). Continue Reading »
Microfinance institutions (MFIs) in India have increasingly been exploring “crowd sourcing” to raise funds since traditional sources of funding such as banks and private equity houses have significantly decreased their investments following the “microfinance crisis” that began in 2010 in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Continue Reading »
Dr Muhammad Yunus, the founder and former chairman of Bangladeshi microfinance institution (MFI) Grameen Bank, recently offered guidance to the leaders of Nigeria’s microfinance banks (MFBs) relating to social mission, capital structure and interest rates. Continue Reading »
Mr Vijay Mahajan, chairman of BASIX Group, an Indian company whose holdings include two microfinance institutions (MFIs), has reportedly announced that if the company does not get a capital infusion of INR 450 crores (USD 98 million) by end of September from domestic sources, it will have to explore partnering with foreign investors [1]. Continue Reading »
The BRAC Development Institute (BDI) set up by the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee (BRAC), a Bangladesh-based development organization, recently released “Bangladesh Microfinance Review, August 2011” and concluded that “while the sector has achieved operational efficiency, it needs to diversify its products in order to serve unmet demand for credit.” Continue Reading »
Event Name: microLINKS After Hours Seminar #54: Government Payments and Savings: A Last Mile Approach
Event Date: August 25, 2011, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Event Location: Online or at QED Group LLC, 1250 Eye Street NW, 11th Floor, Washington, DC 20005, USA Continue Reading »
The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), a US-based membership organization representing 41 national-level credit union member trade groups, recently released its “2010 Statistical Report,” which is based on data from credit unions from 100 countries and reports a 12-percent increase in aggregate credit union savings from USD 1.1 trillion in 2009 to USD 1.23 trillion in 2010.
MicroRate, a US-based microfinance rating agency, recently announced the release of its sixth annual survey of microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs), “The State of Microfinance Investments 2011.” Continue Reading »
Event Name: International Conference, Practice Meets Theory: What is the future of microfinance in the post Yunus era?
Event Date: September 2, 2011
Event Location: University of Agder – Kristiansand, Norway Continue Reading »
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