Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, a private German university, in partnership with Protestant University of Congo, a post-secondary college based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is issuing a call for applications for a Masters in Microfinance offered at the Protestant University of Congo. Continue Reading »
MFTransparency, a US-based nongovernmental organization (NGO) that collects and publishes information on microcredit products and pricing, recently received the first submissions of loan data from ten Ghanaian microfinance institutions (MFIs) that are participating in its “Transparent Pricing Initiative in Ghana.” Continue Reading »
Event Name: Asia Network Summit 2011
Event Date: July 26 to July 27, 2011
Event Location: Manila, Philippines
SKS Microfinance, a microfinance institution (MFI) that serves groups of impoverished women in India, is reportedly considering new business growth avenues in an attempt to increase revenue and improve its reputation. Along with collateral-free loans, four new products would be offered: loans using gold as collateral, housing loans, loans to buy mobile phones and loans to local grocery stores in a supply arrangement with the cash-and-carry chain, Metro. “The pilot projects have been yielding very encouraging results,” says Vikram Akula, chairperson and founder of SKS Microfinance. Continue Reading »
VisionFund, the microfinance subsidiary of US-based Christian relief organization World Vision, has released its 2010 annual review. VisionFund has cut back the size of its paper report in favor of presenting its annual review in multiple mediums such as online and through Apple’s app store for access via iPhone. Continue Reading »
By Binh T Nguyen and Robert Vogel, published by Asian Development Bank (ADB), 2011, 126 pages, available at: http://www.microfinancegateway.org/p/site/m/template.rc/1.9.51104/ Continue Reading »
The G20 SME (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise) Finance Online Consultations are now ongoing through June 17 to help shape the policy recommendations of the SME Finance Sub-Group, which was launched as part of the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion to improve access to financial services for the poor. The Group of Twenty (G20) was established in 1999 to bring together finance ministers and central bank governors of “systematically important” industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy. Continue Reading »
US-based nonprofit MFTransparency and the 24-member Association of MicroFinance Institutions of Zambia (AMIZ) will co-host a workshop in Lusaka, Zambia, on June 6, 2011, effectively launching the Transparent Pricing Initiative in Zambia, the goal of which is to publish comparable cost data on microfinance products to help poor people make informed decisions when borrowing. Continue Reading »
A recent brief published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) examines different approaches to measuring changes in client lives that may be attributed to microfinance. Continue Reading »
LuxFLAG, an organization established in 2006 to certify that microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs) actually invest in the sector, has renewed its annual label for 13 MIVs: Advans SA, BlueOrchard Microfinance Fund for US Investors, Dexia Micro-Credit Fund – BlueOrchard Debt Sub-Fund, Dual Return Fund – Vision Microfinance, European Fund for Southeast Europe, Finethic Microfinance, KCD Mikrofinanzfonds I, KCD Mikrofinanzfonds II, responsAbility Global Microfinance Fund, responsAbility (Lux) Microfinance Leaders Fund, responsAbility (Lux) Mikrofinanz-Fonds, Triodos Microfinance Fund and Wallberg Global Microfinance Fund. Continue Reading »
African Microfinance Transparency Forum (AMT), a Luxembourg-based nonprofit that seeks to promote transparency and efficiency among African microfinance institutions (MFIs), is set to relocate its operations to the African continent in 2011. AMT is inviting organizations based in Africa to apply to host and manage the AMT Secretariat. Continue Reading »
MFTransparency, a US-based nongovernmental organization that provides information on credit products and pricing, recently announced plans to expand its Transparent Pricing Initiative to Guinea Bissau and Tanzania with the objective of collecting and publishing pricing data for microfinance products offered in each country and providing training on financial literacy for microfinance clients. Continue Reading »
SKS Microfinance, an Indian microfinance institution (MFI), has filed a petition with the Supreme Court of India seeking a stay to prevent the enforcement of the Regulation of Microlending Act issued by the government of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Continue Reading »
United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations’ global development network that seeks to connect countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life, organized a session recently to discuss amendments to microfinance regulations in Uzbekistan. Continue Reading »
Mexican microfinance institutions (MFIs) Credito Real SA and Financiera Independencia SAB have reported gains in bond sales that are double those of the average of bank in Latin America [1].
The CGAP Microfinance Blog, which is operated by US-based think tank CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), recently posted an article by President Bindu Ananth of IFMR Trust, an affiliate of India’s nonprofit Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), that argues the importance of “matching types of accounts to types of needs” based on several examples from India[1].
The CGAP Microfinance Blog, which is operated by US-based think tank CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), recently posted an article by Mohammed Khaled, CGAP representative for the Middle East-North Africa Region, that explores the impact of the recent leadership change in Tunisia on microfinance regulation in the country. Continue Reading »
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