The Central Bank of Afghanistan has issued an electronic money institution (EMI) license to M-Paisa, a mobile technology platform that provides financial services targeted at those without access to banking. Continue Reading »

A group of lenders, led by Indian commercial bank ICICI Bank, has approved a debt restructuring plan for Spandana Sphoorty Financial Limited, an Indian microfinance institution (MFI). Continue Reading »

Alan Patricof, Founder and Managing Director of US-based venture capital company Greycroft Partners, argues in a recent issues of Fortune magazine that while microfinance institutions (MFIs) “do play an important role in development, there is an even greater need to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which have the greatest potential for job growth in most places around the world” [1]. Continue Reading »

MFTransparency, a US-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) that provides information on credit products and pricing, has published updated pricing data for Cambodia. The updated data builds on the original data published in 2009 as part of its collection of international microloan product pricing data. Continue Reading »

Ignacio Mas, Senior Advisor to the Financial Services for the Poor Initiative at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and John Staley, Director of Finance and Shared Services at Equity Bank of Kenya, recently posted an entry on the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) blog titled “Are We Serious About Financial Inclusion for All?” [1]. Mr Mas and Mr Staley highlight the importance of increasing access to financial services in developing countries and outline their four suggestions for regulators and financial service providers to advance financial inclusion. Continue Reading »

A new Focus Note from CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) examines data from CGAP’s annual surveys on cross-border microfinance funding to provide an overview of the microfinance funding landscape and trends in cross-border funding [1]. Continue Reading »

Fondazione Giordano Dell’Amore, an Italian foundation, is accepting applications for its Microfinance Best Practices International Award 2011. The award aims to increase the understanding of microfinance as a tool to fight poverty and social exclusion and to encourage microfinance practitioners to share successful practices. The focus of the award for 2011 is “transparency, client protection and social impact.” Continue Reading »

CGAP Microfinance Blog, operated by US-based think tank CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), recently posted an article by Mohammed Khaled, a CGAP representative for the Middle East-North Africa Region, that explores the implications for microfinance institutions (MFIs) of the recent wave of demonstrations and resulting leadership changes that have occurred in the Middle East and North Africa. Mr Khaled says that while it “could be too early to analyze the impact of recent events in the Arab world on microfinance, one can conclude some general and common lessons despite differences among countries” [1]. Mr Khaled argues that the following areas are of the utmost importance: emergency plans, strategic partnerships with clients, internal control systems and job creation [1]. Continue Reading »

In Bangladesh, 3.7 million people have reportedly signed a petition urging the prime minister of Bangladesh to allow Dr Yunus to continue as the head of Grameen Bank. The event, organized by “The Citizens’ Committee to Protect the Honour of Nobel Laureate Professor Yunus,” was held after the Bangladesh High Court upheld the argument of the government of Bangladesh invalidating the original appointment of Dr Yunus as the managing director of Grameen Bank. Continue Reading »

The Business Standard, an Indian financial newspaper, recently reported that a third of the loans made by Indian banks’ to microfinance institutions (MFIs) are in the process of being structured, due to the MFIs inability to repay following the turmoil in the sector in the state of Andhra Pradesh that began in late 2010. According to a report by the Malegam Committee, a sub-committee of the Reserve Bank of India, as of March 2010 approximately INR 138 billion (USD 3.06 billion) in loans were outstanding to MFIs from the Small Industries Development Bank of India, a government-owned bank providing credit to medium and large-scale MFIs and other banks. The report also stated that banks hold an additional INR 42 billion (USD 932 million) in securitized paper from MFIs. Continue Reading »

London-based news agency Reuters recently reported that since the October 2010 passage of legislation by the state government of Andhra Pradesh in response to the turmoil in the microfinance sector there, funding still remains an issue for microlenders. This is despite efforts by India’s central bank, the Reserve Bank of India, to ease the liquidity crunch. According to Reuters, the issues of mission drift among for-profit players – putting short-term profits ahead of sustainability – and an uncertain regulatory outlook have contributed to the funding shortage [1]. Reuters also states that domestic lenders exercising extra caution when lending to Indian microfinance institutions (MFIs) further deter foreign investors [1]. Continue Reading »

A new Focus Note from CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) examines the “global regulation of the use of banking agents by microfinance institutions (MFIs) and the issues regulators face in censoring the safe and scalable use of agents [1].” Continue Reading »

By Anjali Banthia, Janiece Greene, Celina Kawas, Elizabeth Lynch and Julie Slama; published by Women’s World Banking (WWB); 2011; 17 pages; available at http://www.swwb.org/sites/default/files/pubs/en/solutions_for_financial_inclusion_serving_rural_women_1.pdf Continue Reading »

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently announced that it will not allow 121 microfinance banks (MFBs) that received provisional operating licenses in October 2010 more time to recapitalize. CBN gave the 121 MFBs, the surviving portion of 224 MFBs that had their operating licenses revoked in October 2010, a deadline of January 31 to increase their minimum capital from NGN 10 million (USD 64,200) to NGN 20 million (USD 131,000), shutdown branches engaging in illegal activities and embrace “good” corporate governance. Continue Reading »

The Microcredit Summit Campaign, a project that was launched in 1997 by US-based nonprofit advocacy group RESULTS Educational Fund (REF), recently released the State of the Microcredit Summit Campaign Report 2011, a plenary account of the recent trends, challenges and achievements in the microfinance industry, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. The report indicated that 128 million poor people received microloans in 2009, more than was recorded in any of the organization’s previous reports. In 1997, 7.6 million were estimated to have received microloans. Continue Reading »

Fitch Ratings, a global rating agency headquartered in New York and London, recently confirmed its ratings for AccessBank, a financial institution in Azerbaijan. AccessBank’s long-term foreign-currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) was confirmed at ‘BB+’ with ‘Outlook Stable’, its short-term IDR was confirmed at ‘B’ and its Individual Rating was confirmed at ‘D’, all of which are at the ‘sovereign ceiling’ which is generally the highest available in a given country. Continue Reading »

Abeokuta-based microfinance bank (MFB) Classic Microfinance has been reportedly forced to sell off assets to pay debts it owes to its former depositors. The move is part of a broader effort in Nigeria to repay depositors of over 100 MFBs—including Classic Microfinance—whose licenses were permanently revoked in 2010 after being deemed “terminally distressed and technically insolvent.” Continue Reading »

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) recently mandated that microfinance banks (MFBs) adopt information technology infrastructure and utilize shared service providers—organizations that provide services such as cash processing and currency sorting for multiple banks—by June 2011 as concerns over struggling MFBs persist. CBN reportedly will offer financial assistance to MFBs to facilitate compliance with the directive. Use of the shared service platforms is also expected to help MFBs reduce operating expenses. Continue Reading »