MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Supreme Court Schedules Hearing on Petition Filed by SKS Microfinance Against Over Regulation of Moneylending Act of India’s State of Andhra Pradesh

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.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Convenes Discussion On Amending Microfinance Regulations in Uzbekistan

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.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Details Emerge on “Microfinance Bank” Proposed by Government of Andhra Pradesh, Government of India, Several Banks

The government of India, the government of the state of Andhra Pradesh and a consortium of five unnamed private and public banks have submitted an application to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the country’s central banking authority, to establish a “microfinance bank” as an alternative to microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the state of Andhra Pradesh [1].

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Water Nonprofit Launches WaterCredit.org to Highlight Crossover Between Sanitation, Microfinance in Africa, South Asia, Central America

Water.org, a nonprofit organization promoting access to clean water in Africa, South Asia and Central America has launched WaterCredit.org, an online resource that seeks to educate interested parties about the growing intersection between international microfinance and water and sanitation needs.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: World Vision Tanzania, MicroEnsure Partner to Launch Agricultural Microfinance Loans Bundled with Weather Index Insurance

World Vision Tanzania, a branch of US-based, Christian relief organization World Vision, in partnership with MicroEnsure, a subsidiary of US-based microfinance network Opportunity International, has launched a pilot scheme to provide small-scale farmers in Tanzania with agricultural loans bundled with weather index insurance.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Mexican Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) Credito Real, Financiera Independencia Report Brisk Bond Sales

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].

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Credit Rating and Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL) Predicts Reserve Bank of India Guidelines Will Spur Bank Lending to Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), Trigger Consolidation

The Indian rating agency Credit Rating and Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL) has announced that it expects, “Growth prospects for microfinance institutions (MFIs) will remain subdued over the medium term,” due to microfinance guidelines issued earlier this month by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the nation’s central banking authority.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroEnsure, PharmAccess Foundation Launch Health Microinsurance for Coffee Growers in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

MicroEnsure, a subsidiary of US-based microfinance network Opportunity International, and PharmAccess Foundation, a Dutch nonprofit that seeks to strengthen health systems in sub-Saharan Africa, have partnered to launch a health plan serving members of the Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union (KNCU), a group of coffee growers in the Kilimanjaro region of northern Tanzania.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indian Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) Spandana Sphoorty, Asmitha, Future, Share, Trident Attempt to Raise Up to $218m in New Loans Amidst Efforts to Restructure Existing Debt

Five Indian microfinance institutions (MFIs) are reportedly looking to raise between INR 800 crores (USD 175 million) and INR 1,000 crores (USD 218 million) in new loans even as they wait for word on proposed debt restructuring plans.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) Microfinance Blog Argues Importance of “Matching Types of Accounts to Types of Needs”

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].

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Fourth “Survey on the Access to Finance of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Euro Area” From European Central Bank Indicates Modest Progress

The European Central Bank, the institution that oversees the monetary policy of the 17 EU member states, recently published its fourth report on the results of its “Survey on the access to finance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the euro area.”

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) Microfinance Blog Explores Impact of Tunisian Revolution on Microfinance Regulation

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.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bangladesh Supreme Court Dismisses Attempt by Dr Muhammad Yunus to Remain as Managing Director of Microfinance Institution (MFI) Grameen Bank

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has dismissed Dr Muhammad Yunus’ final bid to overturn the Bangladesh High Court’s ruling upholding the effort of the Bangladesh Bank (BB), the central bank of Bangladesh, to remove Dr Yunus from his position as managing director of Grameen Bank [1] [2] [3].

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Establishes “Flexible Financing Facility” for Countries in Latin America, Caribbean

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a US-based multilateral finance institution that operates in Latin America and the Caribbean, has established a “Flexible Financing Facility” (FFF) that will give Latin American and Caribbean countries flexibility in loan terms and conditions as well as allowing the use of hedges to manage interest rate and currency risks associated with loans from IDB [1].

MICROCAPITAL WRAP-UP: Measuring Changes in Client Lives through Microfinance: Contributions of Different Approaches; By Mayada El-Zoghbi and Meritxell Martinez; Published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor)

By Mayada El-Zoghbi and Meritxell Martinez; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); May 2011; 4 pages; available at http://www.cgap.org/gm/document-1.9.50966/MeasuringBenefits_Brief.pdf

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Planet Rating Recognized as Microfinance Rating Agency by Philippine Central Bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)

Planet Rating, a microfinance rating agency and member of the France-based PlaNet Finance Group, has been recognized by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank of the Philippines, as a microfinance institution (MFI) rating agency. This recognition follows the company’s establishment of a regional office in Manila in 2009.