Event Name: 2013 Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF)

Event Date: October 2-4, 2013

Event Location: Telus Convention Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada Continue Reading »

Dr Yaw Gyima-Larbi, the head of microfinance and banking supervision at the Bank of Ghana (BoG), reportedly has announced that the central bank has granted final operating licenses to 171 financial institutions. Continue Reading »

A recent report from Bangladesh’s Microcredit Regulatory Authority (MRA), a Bangladeshi agency charged with licensing and supervising microfinance institutions (MFIs), reportedly indicates that as of June 2012, the end of the last fiscal year, Bangladeshi MFIs have disbursed approximately BDT 211 billion (USD 2.7 billion) in microcredit since such data has been tracked. Continue Reading »

The Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX), a US-based nonprofit, recently announced plans to release a feature on its MIX Market website in 2013 that will allow users to search for “validated social data” from microfinance institutions (MFIs) and filter out those not reporting such data. Continue Reading »

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a Luxembourg-based microfinance investment vehicle (MIV), has recently disbursed a loan of EUR 4 million (USD 5.2 million) to Mikrofin Banja Luka of Bosnia and Herzegovina and AMD 375 million (USD 911,600) to Inecobank of Armenia [1]. Continue Reading »

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and Atlantic Bank, a Belizean bank majority-held by Sociedad Nacional de Inversiones, SA of Honduras, recently launched the second phase of a project with the aim of improving access to financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belize with support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Continue Reading »

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a multilateral institution financing development efforts in Latin America, recently released an article arguing that psychometric testing can be used by financial institutions (MFIs) to reduce defaults on loans by 20 to 40 percent, increase profits by 15 to 30 percent and reduce operational costs associated with traditional credit evaluation and due diligence by approximately 60 percent. Continue Reading »

Kiva, a US-based online microlending fundraiser, recently reported on delinquent payments due to Kiva by non-profit institutions L’Association de Lutte pour la promotion des Initiatives de Développement (Alidé) of Benin and Faîtière des Caisses d’Epargne et de Crédit des Associations Villageoises (FECECAV) of Togo. Continue Reading »

The UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) recently launched the Kyrgyz Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (KyrSEFF), a USD 20 million credit line supporting energy efficiency projects for households and private enterprises in the Kyrgyz Republic. Continue Reading »

According to Cuba’s Domestic Trade Ministry, a government body charged with implementing and monitoring domestic wholesale and retail commerce, 2,041 businesses have been leased to 5,479 former employees as part of Cuba’s economic reform plan to introduce non-state management in 47 economic activities. Continue Reading »

U’yo’olché, a Mexican environmental non-governmental organization (NGO), and Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, A.C. (FMCN), a nonprofit funder of environmental efforts, are leading an initiative to provide improved cook stoves to families in rural areas of southern Mexico with the aim of reducing wood consumption, eliminating hazardous household smoke, decreasing the risk of accidents, minimizing household expenses and promoting women’s empowerment. Continue Reading »

The European Fund for Southeast Europe (EFSE), a Luxembourg-based microfinance investment vehicle (MIV), has notified MicroCapital that it recently disbursed two loans totaling the equivalent of USD 16 million to Agricultural Cooperative Bank of Armenia-Credit Agricole Bank (ACBA), a microfinance bank partially owned by French bank Credit Agricole. Continue Reading »

According to data presented by Deepali Pant Joshi, executive director of Reserve Bank of India (RBI), at the recent International Summit of Skill Development in New Delhi, the number of villages with access to banks has risen from 67,000 in March 2010 to 211,000 in December 2012 out of a total of 600,000 villages in the country. Continue Reading »

The UK-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has agreed to loan up to EUR 85 million (USD 111.5 million) to two units of French-based Société Générale Group to finance the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Bulgaria. Continue Reading »

Event Name: European Microfinance Network (EMN) 10^th Annual Conference

Event Date: June 25-26, 2013

Event Location: Clarion Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden Continue Reading »

By Marulanda Consultores; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); February 2013; 32 pages; available at: http://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/colombia_agent_subsidy_english.pdf

This report analyzes a set of incentives offered by Banca de las Oportunidades, a government organization in Colombia that aims to increase financial access, to expand networks of “non-banking correspondents” (NBCs) to reach unbanked areas. Continue Reading »

Published by Making Finance Work for Africa (MFW4A), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), New Faces New Voices, East African Community, Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ); 2012; 40 pages; available at: http://www.mfw4a.org/documents-details/advancing-african-womens-financial-inclusion.html?dl=1

This report presents an analysis of the potential positive impacts of advancing African women’s financial inclusion, including more inclusive and sustainable economic growth and higher levels of productive investment and asset accumulation. Continue Reading »

Event Name: 2013 Partnerships Against Poverty Summit

Event Date: October 9-11, 2013

Event Location: Philippine International Convention Center, Manila, Philippines

Continue Reading »