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Oct 2015
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Doing Business 2016: Armenia Is One of the Best Places to Start New Business
October, 30 2015
Global - This year’s Doing Business report completes a two-­year effort to expand benchmarks that measure the quality of regulation, as well as efficiency of the business regulatory framework, in order to better reflect the reality of business operations on the ground ...
The Mastercard Foundation Research Shows How African Youth Navigate Risk to Survive
October, 30 2015
Africa - The MasterCard Foundation today released preliminary findings from innovative research conducted over the past six months into youth employment behaviours in Africa, where 600 million people are under the age of 25 and 72 percent of its youth live on less than US$2 per day. ...
Cambodia: Borrowing Gap Widens as MFI Sector Grows
October, 30 2015
Cambodia - Cambodia’s microfinance sector continued its rapid expansion in the first nine months of the year, according to the latest figures from the Cambodia Microfinance Association (CMA), although the gap between loans and deposits in the sector also continued to widen ...
Will Southeast Asia Be the Epicenter of Mobile Finance and Commerce 2.0?: Ten Takeaways from the Mondato Summit Asia
October, 29 2015
South East Asia - The Mondato Summit Asia welcomed approximately 150 participants from "emerging Asia," including the Philippines, Cambodia, Thailand, Singapore, Bangladesh, Pakistan and elsewhere, who braved the threat of typhoon Lando and gathered at the sophisticated Shangri-La hotel in Manila last week to explore the latest concepts and use cases in the mobile finance and commerce (MFC) ecosystem in the region ...
Microfinance in Africa: Effective Enough?
October, 29 2015
Africa - Laden with natural resources and a fast-improving agricultural sector, Africa has immense potential of achieving healthy economic growth and high living standards. Sadly, reality today paints a bleak picture. ...
Latin America & the Caribbean: 2015 Foromic Conference Closes with Focus on Financial Inclusion
October, 28 2015
Latin America & the Caribbean - The 18th annual Inter-American Forum on Microenterprise closed today with panels that focused on topics including investments and training to enable microenterprises to grow sustainably, retirement savings, revenue-based financing, remittances, and social entrepreneurshi ...
The ILO’s Impact Insurance Facility and Africa Re Partner on Microinsurance in Africa
October, 28 2015
Africa - The partnership between the ILO’s Impact Insurance Facility and Africa Re will develop the capacity of insurance providers to offer valuable insurance products to the financially excluded population, and will promote cross country collaboration and sharing of good practices among African countries ...
Kenya : Safaricom Launches Feature to Stop Erroneous Transfers - Hakikisha
October, 28 2015
Kenya - Safaricom recently launched an additional functionality “Hakikisha” on the M-Pesa Menu in Kenya, which will enable subscribers to confirm a recipient’s name before completing an M-Pesa transaction. ...
How Mobile Money Drives Economic Growth
October, 28 2015
Global - Mobile money—the ability to transfer funds, pay bills, save, borrow and even acquire insurance coverage via mobile phones—is transforming the lives of individuals and small businesses globally. The ability to access funds anywhere, anytime saves time, improves security and provides a means for saving and managing money more effectively than traditional methods ...
Innovation is Key to Growth in Bolivia
October, 27 2015
Bolivia - A focus on innovation and expansion in segments such as microinsurance and other mass-market products are the keys for growth at Nacional Vida, one of Bolivia’s largest insurance companies, according to its president Jose Luis Camacho ...
India - Major PSBs Seek Tie-up with New Lenders as Competition Brews for Rural Banking
October, 27 2015
India - Sensing fierce competition in the banking sector ahead of the entry of new banks, universal banks are reworking their rural banking strategy ...
Share of Female Entrepreneurs in Small, Medium Business in Azerbaijan Grows
October, 27 2015
Azerbaijan - The share of female entrepreneurs in Azerbaijani small and medium business has reached 28 percent, Jala Hajiyeva, the executive director of the Azerbaijan Micro-Finance Association, said in Baku Oct. 27. ...
Global: Fintech Companies Have Potential To Close US$2T Funding Gap For SMEs
October, 26 2015
Global - Financial technology companies are leading the way in disruptive innovation in financial services, helping to bridge a $2 trillion funding gap for millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking credit to grow their business ...
T. Bandyopadhyay, Consulting Editor at Mint: IPOs Acid Test for Indian MFIs
October, 26 2015
India - Indian MFIs had expanded aggressively after the highly successful listing of SKS, encouraged by a strong demand for loans from borrowers neglected by the banking system and investors eager to put in money even as valuations kept on rising ...
Babyloan and Total Team Up to Create the First Ever Crowdfunding Platform Dedicated to Access to Energy
October, 26 2015
Global - Babyloan, a European leader in crowdfunding, and Total have teamed up to develop the first crowdfunding platform dedicated to access to energy. The partners are aiming to accelerate access to energy and related financing solutions, particularly in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where the need is greatest. ...
Islamic Research and Training Institute Launches Islamic Social Finance Report 2015
October, 26 2015
Jeddah, KSA - The Islamic Research and Training Institute (IRTI) of the Islamic Development Bank Group today launched the Islamic Social Finance Report 2015, which is the second edition in the series ...
Kyrgyz MSMEs to Benefit From Local Currency Credit Line to Kompanion MFI
October, 23 2015
Kyrgyzstan - The leading microfinance institution (MFI) in the Kyrgyz Republic, Kompanion, will receive a new EBRD credit line in the local currency, the som, to boost lending to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) across the country ...
Finca to Provide Solar Microfinance for 300,000 African Households Annually Through 2019
October, 23 2015
Africa - Microfinance provider Finca International has announced plans to finance off-grid solar systems to light up the lives of 1.5 million people in Africa. The deal was announced at a White House Forum on off-grid energy yesterday ...
Brazil: For MFIs, The Future is Go Green,' or 'Go Broke'
October, 23 2015
Brazil - Microloans are a vital tool for farmers and rural entrepreneurs to upgrade their businesses or invest in the next growing season. But what happens to microfinance models when the next growing season never materializes? Or the one after that? Microfinance institutions can help answer those questions and can offer a key bridge to climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies ...
Family Offices Expand Their Philanthropic Ventures
October, 23 2015
Global - Traditionally, family offices have usually not been involved with philanthropic endeavours, which the family either made directly, or via a foundation. But families are increasingly becoming interested in impact investing, which aims to make a profit as well as benefit society or the environment ...
IFC Provides $135 Million to Vicentin in Argentina, Supporting the Country’s Agribusiness Sector
October, 23 2015
Argentina - “Argentina is a key participant in the global agribusiness supply chain and one of the largest and most competitive suppliers of soybean oil and meal, which are affordable sources of fats and protein on a global scale”, said Salem Rohana, IFC Manager for Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay ...
Cambodia Eyes Bright Solar Future with Tuk-tuks and Microfinance
October, 22 2015
Cambodia - Powered by solar panels on its roof, the tuk-tuk is not just part of a project bringing hope to disadvantaged women, but a vivid symbol of Cambodia's potential to become a solar powerhouse ...
India: Proposed Banks Make a Beeline for Equity Markets
October, 22 2015
India - As foreign-owned microfinance institutions seek to become domestic-owned small finance banks, garnering fresh equity is becoming a mammoth task, especially for big institutions ...
Nigeria - NDIC: Poor Funding Stalling MSMEs’ Growth
October, 21 2015
Nigeria - The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has linked the challenges of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMES) to their poor funding ...
Philippines: 23M Adult Filipinos Run Out of Money for Basic Necessities – World Bank Survey
October, 21 2015
Philippines - A World Bank survey, whose results were announced on Wednesday, October 21, showed that 23 million adult acknowledge that their households run out of money for food and other necessary items either “sometimes” (29%) or “regularly” (26%) ...
India: Loan Portfolio of Microfinance Institutions Rises 33% in FY15
October, 21 2015
India - The total loans portfolio managed by microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the country has grown 33 per cent to over Rs 48,882 crore at the end of March 2015, a report by MFI association Sa-Dhan has said ...
Indonesia - Lenders to Accelerate Microloan Disbursement as Govt Relaxes Rules
October, 21 2015
Indonesia - State-owned banks involved in the government’s subsidized microloan program are committed to accelerating credit disbursement following an agreement to relax the rules of the scheme ...
Dr B. Eccles, Chairman of ESG, UN Sustainable Development Goals: Good For Business
October, 20 2015
Global - As Lise Kingo, Executive Director of the UN Global Compact explains: “Businesses today are expected to be part of the solution to our world’s greatest challenges – from climate and water crises, to inequality and poverty – as captured in the Sustainable Development Goals ...
Kenya: Safaricom Diversifies as Rivals Complain over Dominance
October, 19 2015
Kenya - Safaricom, Kenya’s biggest telecoms operator and largest listed company, will press ahead with diversifying its business portfolio, despite complaints from competitors that it is abusing its dominant position. ...
Indian Microfinance Institutions Have Just Busted a Myth
October, 19 2015
India - MFIs operate in the hinterland where traditional banks balk at serving. Or, so we believed. The scene has changed ...
Making Mobile Money Accessible in Pakistan
October, 19 2015
Pakistan - Mobile wallets could have a revolutionary impact on financial inclusion in Pakistan. While 8.7% of adult Pakistanis reported having an account registered at a financial institution, approximately 48% of financially excluded adults reported owning a mobile phone. This means that the mobile channel holds great potential when it comes to financial outreach ...
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): Lends $500 Million to Colombia to Support Financial System Reforms
October, 19 2015
Colombia - The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $500 million loan that will support reforms of Colombia's financial system and contribute to the economic growth of the country. ...
Nigeria: Non-Bank Micro Finance Institutions Decry Lack of Access to Loans
October, 19 2015
Nigeria - The Association of Non Bank Micro Finance institutions (ANMFIN) has decried lack of access to loan facilities by its target audience due to regulatory bottlenecks and legal impediments ...
European Commission and European Investment Fund Mobilise €237 Million in Loans to Support 20,000 European Micro-enterprises
October, 19 2015
Europe - 20,000 micro-enterprises will get access to loans worth €237 million under the European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation (EaSI). Today, the European Investment Fund (EIF), which manages the EaSI guarantee on behalf of the European Commission, and six microfinance institutions are signing guarantee agreements that will open up access to finance for microenterprises. ...
S. Roy and R. Whitten, Co-founders, Whitten & Roy Partnership: Social Enterprises Closing the Deal
October, 15 2015
Global - As sales consultants in the developing world, we deal with “last yard” problems every day. We work with talented and visionary social enterprise leaders, but the fact is that many of them have very limited sales experience. And, critically, most of them (used to) buy into three commonly held myths about selling to the poor ...
PwC: India’s Unbanked Population Halves to 233 Million
October, 14 2015
India - India’s unbanked population has more than halved to 233 million in 2015 from 557 million in 2011, according to a report prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers India for the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Payments Council of India (PCI) ...
Opportunities and Challenges for Expanding Financial Inclusion in Tunisia
October, 14 2015
Tunisia - The country’s Ministry of Finance is preparing a financial sector modernization plan for 2015-2020 that outlines more than 20 areas ripe for policy reform, including financial inclusion ...
Central Bank of Philippines (BSP), RBAP Bat for Greater Financial Inclusion
October, 14 2015
Phillipines - Despite the gains of the rural banking industry in extending credit to the agricultural and agrarian reform sectors, much work still has to be done to encourage rural folk to maximize the opportunity of getting into a formal financial system ...
Private Equity into Sub-saharan Africa Grows to $12 Billion a Year - Overseas Development Institute
October, 12 2015
Africa - International private equity has become the fastest growing source of investment in sub-Saharan Africa but better risk management tools and a way to develop whole sectors was needed to make sure benefits are spread more widely, a study found ...
India’s Newly-licensed Banks Carry Potential Seeds of Revolution
October, 12 2015
India - Whether this plethora of upstarts will bring fundamental changes is open to debate. Some opinion holds that the newcomers will start small and, beyond IDFC Bank, most are likely to stay that way. Many may struggle to develop a decent business model, too ...
Africa: Giving Women Control Over Their Finances
October, 09 2015
Africa - Including more women from the developing world in the global economy can help them and their communities escape poverty – so what role should the private sector and civil society play? ...
Peru, Financial Inclusion Model for Latin America, Says Alliance for Financial Inclusion
October, 09 2015
Lima - Financial inclusion is a compulsory topic of countries’ goals seeking to accentuate social reforms. This year the post-2015 Development Agenda addresses the issue as a key target for United Nations member countries. ...
Financial Sector Should Be Active Participant in Azerbaijan's Growth
October, 09 2015
Azerbaijan - The financial sector should play a more active role in Azerbaijan’s economic development, according to Rashad Orujov, executive director of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan ...
Nepal: ADB Okays $15m Aid to Help Quake-hit Districts
October, 09 2015
Kathmandu - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a new $15 million grant to rebuild schools, provide micro loans to help restore livelihoods, and to boost awareness of disasters in the 14 districts most severely affected by the recent earthquakes in Nepal ...
G. Grandolini, Senior Director, World Bank Group: Five Challenges Prevent Financial Access for People in Developing Countries
October, 08 2015
Mozambique - Transaction accounts can help people better manage their lives. But financial access and the underlying infrastructure taken for granted in rich nations – such as savings accounts, debit cards and credit – aren’t available to many in developing countries ...
African Mobile Money Begins Breaking the Bank... A Lot of Banks
October, 07 2015
Africa - According to the GSMA there are now 21 mobile money services worldwide with more one million active accounts. This validates mobile money beyond what M-PESA has achieved in Kenya; this is a financial revolution in developing countries all over the world; led by Africa ...
India: SBI Concludes 15 Year $300 Million Loan to Rural and Micro Lending
October, 06 2015
Mumbai - The country's largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) and the German development bank KfW today concluded a 15 year loan worth $300 million (Rs 1,956 crores) loan facility to support rural and micro-enterprise lending in India. ...
Nigeria: Farmers Inaugurate Micro-Finance Bank in Oyo
October, 06 2015
Nigeria - Faced with the challenge of inability to secure agricultural loans from conventional banks and high interest rates, some farmers associations have launched their own micro-finance bank ...
India: Applying Wall Street Ideas to NGOs in Rural India - A Closer Look at the First Education Impact Bond
October, 05 2015
India - More than 3 million school-age girls in India do not attend class. In fact, for every 100 girls in rural India, only one will reach grade 12. Yet the benefits of education for girls are manifold: Education increases income, improves nutrition, reduces child marriage and mortality rates, and increases education levels for generations to come ...
Philippines: Informal Lenders as Partners in MSME Financing
October, 05 2015
Philippines - The majority of small businesses still have no access to formal financing facilities ...
Rwanda: Ericsson’s Mobile Financial Services Enables Social and Financial Inclusion
October, 05 2015
Rwanda - Elaine Weidman-Grunewald, VP, Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, Ericsson highlights Ericsson’s role in enabling social inclusion with Ericsson Mobile Financial Services ...
Colombia: Target Market Segmentation and Education - Comparing Agriculture Digital Payments Systems
October, 02 2015
Columbia - In 2007, the same year that the pioneering M-Pesa in Kenya was launched, another, lesser-known digital payments system was started in Colombia ...
India: RBI Eases MFI Norms to Provide Cheaper Loans to Poor SCs
October, 02 2015
India - The Reserve Bank has eased micro finance norm of maximum 4 per cent variance in interest rates for small loans offered to SCs living below double poverty line in order to provide credit at cheaper rate ...
Nepal: IFC Appoints White Lotus as Fund Manager of Business Oxygen
October, 01 2015
Nepal - IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has appointed White Lotus Centre as fund manager for Business Oxygen, its SME ventures fund in Nepal ...
India, SKS: "We Aim to Bring Lending Rates to Below 20% in Next 18 Months"
October, 01 2015
India - President of SKS Microfinance, S Dilli Raj tells Bhavik Nair in an interview that the company is confident of keeping its cost of funds down and is aiming to bring its lending rate to sub-20% in a few months ...

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