MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Mobile Money in Africa; Doing Business in Kyrgyzstan; Digitalization of Kenya’s Premier Credit

“Mobile Money Momentum in Four African Countries;” published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); December 2015; 101 pages; available at: http://www.cgap.org/news/new-data-cgap-sets-benchmark-use-mobile-financial-services

This report offers the results of a survey on mobile money account usage in Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania. While Kenya and Tanzania are considered to be the frontrunners in using mobile money, the survey shows that Rwanda and Ghana are improving their usage of mobile money. Furthermore, it highlights the fact that these accounts are used widely in rural areas. For example in Rwanda, 61 percent of active users were located in rural areas, while 72 percent of the users in the country live on less than USD 2.50 per day. Other highlights of the survey are, Ghanaians are ready to use mobile money accounts, that is 92 percent have the required identification, 95 percent are “numerate”, 91 percent own a mobile phone, 74 percent are texting.

“Survey of Corporate Governance Practice in the Kyrgyz Republic;” published by the International Finance Corporation (IFC); January 2016; 68 pages; available at: http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/754ca2004cc0092facabedf81ee631cc/PublicationKyrgyzstanCG-2010.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

This survey assesses the ease of doing business in Kyrgyzstan. Although the authors find that it is “fairly easy” to register a company in the country, operating the company is “much harder”. The survey finds that corruption, a lack of governmental transparency, and an unpredictable legal and regulatory environment are the main barriers. Furthermore, the authors highlight that lack of public order and security are hampering foreign investments. Serhiy Osavolyuk, project manager at IFC, said: “Foreign direct investment can bring more and better jobs, improve productivity, and foster economic growth. But to attract investors, the Kyrgyz Republic must first eliminate bottlenecks to doing business. These include reforms that target investment entry regulations and investment incentives, help reduce uncertainty for investors, and [otherwise] enable the government to attract more and better-quality investments.”

“Aligning Business Intelligence with Strategic Growth for PremierCredit;” by G. Goble; published by BankBI; April 2016; available at: http://www.bankbi.com/premier-credit

This case study describes the implementation of an automated financial reporting system created by BankBI within the cloud-based banking platform of Premier Credit, a Kenya-based microfinance institution. The platform is created by Mambu, a Germany-based financial software provider. BankBI’s solution comprises digital month-end reporting packs, access to scorecards to track month-to-date performance, and financial and banking applications presenting key financial results.

By Kevin van den Brink, Research Associate

Sources and Additional Resources

MicroCapital Universe Profile: CGAP

MicroCapital Universe Profile: IFC

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