Afghanistan-based telecommunications provider Roshan and US-based Western Union have announced plans to offer Western Union money transfers into mobile phone accounts in Afghanistan through the mobile financial services platform M-Paisa. Continue Reading »

Spanish telecommunications company Telefonica and Sybase 365, a division of German software firm SAP, reportedly are developing mWallet, a mobile wallet that will “allow Telefonica’s 300 million customers in 26 countries around the world make mobile financial transactions.” Continue Reading »

The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), a US-based trade association for credit unions in 51 countries, and Federación de Nacional de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito (FENACOAC), an association of credit unions and cooperatives in Guatemala, is using technology to assist rural farmers in Guatamala and Mexico in achieving financial stability. Continue Reading »

WEMAN Global, a program of Dutch nonprofit Oxfam Novib that advocates for gender justice in economic institutions, has added a new section to its webpage on gender finance resources. Continue Reading »

“Exploratory Analysis of Local Geographies of Need and the Proximity of Microfinance Service Providers in Nigeria;” Dr Adegbola A Ojo and Scott Gaul; published by Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX); January 2012; 14 pages; available at: http://www.themix.org/sites/default/files/MBB- Exploratory Analysis of Local Geographies of Need and the Proximity of Microfinance Service Providers in Nigeria_0.pdf

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Event Name: MF Tech 2012 Conference

Event Date: June 26 to June 27, 2012

Event Location:Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Continue Reading »

The United States Senate recently introduced the Microfinance and Microenterprise Enhancement Act of 2011, which proposes that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) focus its financial inclusion efforts on incorporating the use of technology and serving vulnerable groups, very poor people and women, [2]. Continue Reading »

Mifos is a software package used to manage the data of microfinance institutions. The software is “open-source” meaning that it is free of charge and can be edited to meet local needs. Continue Reading »

“Social Cash Transfers and Financial Inclusion: Evidence from Four Countries;” by Chris Bold, David Porteous and Sarah Rotman; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); February 2012; 28 pages; available at: http://www.cgap.org/p/site/c/template.rc/1.9.56877/ Continue Reading »

The National Automotive Council (NAC), an agency of the Nigerian government, is planning to formally launch a NGN 1 billion (USD 6.3 million) microcredit facility for cooperatives of 10 to 20 automotive mechanics. Continue Reading »

The government of Fiji, through its Department of Social Welfare, is promoting financial inclusion through implementation of an electronic government-to-person (G2P) payment program, which includes access to no-fee bank accounts to previously unbanked recipients. Continue Reading »

The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), a public-private partnership, and the Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN), a network of 20 microfinance providers in Pakistan, have launched MicroEYE, a tool that maps the competitive landscape of microfinance in Pakistan. Continue Reading »

Recent cases of fraud threaten to undermine trust in money transfers by mobile phone, a service which has increased financial inclusion in many countries. Continue Reading »

FirstBank of Nigeria PLC (FirstBank), a financial service provider in Nigeria, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Airtel Networks Limited (Airtel Nigeria), Globacom Limited Nigeria (GLO) and Etisalat Nigeria, three mobile phone service providers, to work together in an effort to provide secure, affordable and user-friendly mobile financial services in Nigeria. Continue Reading »

French information technology company Capgemini Group and MicroWorld, an internet-based microfinance intermediary and member of the French PlaNet Finance Group, have launched a digital microfinance platform that “allows individuals and companies to lend small sums of money to finance micro-entrepreneurs who are unable to access traditional banking services.” Continue Reading »

Zantel Tanzania, a telecommunications company owned by Etisalat of the United Arab Emirates, has launched the “Ezy Pesa” mobile payment service, a re-branded version of its Z-Pesa service. Continue Reading »

Event Name: Africa Information and Communications Technology Exhibition and Conference (AITEC) Banking & Mobile Money – Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) 2012

Event Date: March 7 – March 8, 2012

Event Location: Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi, Kenya Continue Reading »

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is working to enable interoperability among business correspondents (BCs) to promote financial inclusion in rural areas [1]. Continue Reading »