MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Southern Sudan Holds Microfinance Conference with Sponsorship from United States Agency for International Development (USAID)

With sponsorship from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), a government agency that provides international economic and humanitarian assistance, Southern Sudan recently held what was billed as its first microfinance conference. The aim of the conference, which was held in the regional capital of Juba, was to provide a forum for stakeholders to exchange views about the status of microfinance in Southern Sudan and to develop a strategy to improve microfinance in the region. The keynote speakers included Barrie Walkley, the consul general of the US consulate in Juba; Laurence Clarke, the World Bank country manager; Stephen Dhieu, the minister of commerce and industry in Southern Sudan; and Dr Anne Itto, the minister of cooperative and rural development in Southern Sudan.

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) operating in Southern Sudan, include several international MFIs – Finance Sudan, Equity Bank and BRAC – and one Sudanese – Sudan Microfinance Institution (SUMI). There are also several smaller start-up institutions. According to the Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) market, as of 2008, BRAC Southern Sudan reported USD 8.3 million in total assets, a gross loan portfolio of USD 1.8 million, USD 412,000 in deposits and 10,400 active borrowers. As of 2008, SUMI reported USD 1.5 million in total assets, a gross loan portfolio of USD 1.1 million and 8,500 active borrowers. As of 2009, Equity Bank reported USD 1.27 billion in total assets, a gross loan portfolio of USD 818 million and 716,000 active borrowers including operations in Uganda and Kenya. No Breakdown specific to Southern Sudan is Available. Financial information is unavailable for Finance Sudan, which is a joint venture between Micro-Africa Limited, a regionally managed for-profit organization established in 2000 that provides financial services in East and Central Africa, and American Refugee Committee (ARC), an international nonprofit that provides humanitarian assistance to refugee communities.

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By Conner Brannen, Research Assistant

About United States Agency for International Development (USAID):

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is a government agency that provides international economic and humanitarian assistance. It focuses on areas such as economic growth, agriculture and trade, global health, democracy, conflict prevention, and humanitarian assistance. Under the Development Credit Authority (DCA), it provides partial credit guarantees that cover up to 50 percent of defaults on loans made by private financial institutions to institutions that lend to underserved borrowers.

About Finance Sudan Limited:

Established in 2006, Finance Sudan Limited is a microfinance organization that operates in Southern Sudan. It is a joint venture between Micro-Africa Limited, a regionally managed for-profit organization established in 2000 that provides financial services in East and Central Africa, and American Refugee Committee (ARC), an international nonprofit that provides humanitarian assistance to refugee communities. Financial information is unavailable for Finance Sudan.

Sources and Additional Resources:

Africom: “USAID Supports First Microfinance Conference in Southern Sudan,” July 21, 2010: http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=4887

MicroCapital Universe Profile: United States Agency for International Development (USAID): https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=United+States+Agency+for+International+Development+%28USAID%29

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-Tijara Commences “Provincial Economic Growth Program,” Targeting Youth Employment in Iraq, July 12, 2010: https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-the-united-states-agency-for-international-development-usaid-tijara-commences-“provincial-economic-growth-program”-targeting-youth-employment-in-iraq/

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to Issue $10m Bond to Fund PRIDE Tanzania Microfinance Loans to Women, July 7, 2010: https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-united-states-agency-for-international-development-usaid-to-issue-10m-bond-to-fund-pride-tanzania-microfinance-loans-to-women/

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