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Jun 2016
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D. Thakkar, CEO, Bayometric: Biometrics for Inclusive Banking and Microfinance in Developing Countries
June, 30 2016
Global - Biometrics has the potential to bring a sea change in the way banking and e-finance is delivered to the masses in the developing world. With financial inclusion of the masses into the mainstream, their development activities can be carried out in a targeted way ...
A New Way to Lend to the Poor
June, 29 2016
Global - After years of growing skepticism about microfinance, the industry is making a comeback. New models are proving it is possible to give the poor access to credit in a sustainable manner and still turn a profit ...
Latin America’s Trillion-Dollar Opportunity for Climate-Smart Investing
June, 29 2016
Latin America - What once seemed impossible happened in Paris last December, when 195 nations agreed on a framework for maintaining the level of global warming at or below 2° Celsius ...
Blockchain Makes Microfinance Accounting Foray in Burma Led by Infoteria and Tech Bureau of Japan
June, 28 2016
Myanmar, Japan - Developing countries present a huge opportunity which is hidden under veil of a problem in the form of the underbanked. Burma is one such emerging economy. In such countries providing banking services to those who have been the most ignored by mainstream economy can bring about significant benefits ...
IIC Finances More than US$40 Million in Solar Energy and SMEs in Chile
June, 27 2016
Chile - The Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC) continues to increase its loan portfolio in Chile with the recent financing of a solar photovoltaic plant and a project to improve access to credit for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) ...
Storming the Walls – How Mozambique’s ‘Citadel Economy’ Shapes Financial Inclusion
June, 27 2016
Mozambique - The answer to connecting people outside the citadel to services within it will first and foremost lie in electronic payments. This will require a widespread and interoperable payment system footprint. But to do so, it’s important to recognise that cash remains the lifeblood of economic activity outside of the citadel – a situation that is unlikely to change anytime soon ...
Kenya: CBK Licenses Maisha Microfinance Bank
June, 27 2016
Nairobi, Kenya - The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has granted a licence to Maisha Microfinance Bank Limited to carry out nationwide microfinance banking business ...
India: Rapid Growth of MFIs’ Gross Loan Portfolio Sets Alarm Bells Ringing
June, 27 2016
India - Data from Microfinance Institutions Network shows 84% rise in loans against a modest 44% rise in number of clients ...
Mexico Joins Better Than Cash Alliance
June, 24 2016
Mexico - Mexico has become the latest country to join the UN-based Better Than Cash Alliance as it bids to accelerate the country's migration to digital payments as part of the government's financial inclusion strategy ...
MyBucks SA Debuts on Frankfurt Stock Exchange
June, 24 2016
Frankfurt, Germany - GetBucks controlling shareholder, MyBucks SA, debuted on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange yesterday after raising €15,5 million through an initial public offering (IPO), which was oversubscribed ...
Myanmar: Infoteria and Tech Bureau Successfully Experiment Blockchain for Microfinance Industry
June, 22 2016
Myanmar, Japan - Blockchain-based company Tech Bureau and software-based firm Infoteria has recorded the experiment of private blockchain technology for microfinance purposes. The field trial was declared a complete success ...
Ghana: Beyond the Microfinance Challenges
June, 21 2016
Ghana - The recent media report about the collapse and lack of liquidity in the microfinance sector cannot be overemphasised. However, there are widespread fears about the wider challenges facing the general financial sector especially the banking industry ...
Mobile Money Revolution: The Next Big Thing in Pakistan
June, 21 2016
Pakistan - Though mobile money has a long history but only recently it has gained momentum due to the innovative technology support for it. This trend of “non-coined currency” is adopted across the world in different ways and its demand has been successfully recognized by the companies and organizations ...
Philippines: Rural Banks Considering Mergers, Consolidation
June, 21 2016
Philippines - Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines’ (RBAP) new president Antonio O. Pasia said five rural banks in Batangas, 12 in Laguna and five others in Cavite are having consolidation talks. Six rural banks in Leyte are also discussing a possible merger ...
Opportunity International and MyBucks: The Future of Digital Microfinance?
June, 21 2016
Global - The MyBucks model may well herald the future of microfinance, fintech and financial inclusion ...
M-Pesa Success Sets Pace for Mobile Money Uptake
June, 20 2016
Kenya - The tremendous success of M-Pesa in Kenya is influencing consumers and businesses in other African countries to adopt mobile money, a survey has said ...
In Senegal, a Safety Net System Designed to Break the Cycle of Poverty
June, 20 2016
Senegal - In 2014, the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank Group’s fund for the poorest, approved a $40.5 million credit to support the government in establishing a national social safety net system ...
Equitas Holdings Shares Promise Over 30% Return: 5 Reasons Why
June, 20 2016
India - Since listing in April 2016, the share price of Equitas Holdings surged 28.43 per cent to Rs 173.70 till June 17, whereas the BSE Sensex gained nearly 3 per cent during the same period ...
Jack Ma’s Ant Financial Plans to Buy 20% Stake in Ascend Money
June, 18 2016
China , Thailand - Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.’s financial affiliate is planning to purchase a 20 percent stake in Thailand’s Ascend Money in a bid to become a key financial services player in Southeast Asia ...
IFC and MasterCard Team Up to Expand Cashless Transactions by Small Businesses
June, 17 2016
Global - IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, and MasterCard have agreed to work together to broaden the use of electronic payments by micro, small and medium enterprises, with the goal of connecting five million such businesses to the global payments network over five years ...
India’s Credit Information Bureau Expands into Small and Micro Loans Segment
June, 16 2016
India - India’s Credit Information Bureau (India) Limited (CIBIL) has expanded its reach in the small and micro loans segment. CIBIL will partner and provide information solutions to small and micro lenders to help them make better lending decisions, grow their customer base and drive credit penetration ...
Northeast Brazilian Bank Creates Credit Line for Micro and Mini Renewable Projects
June, 16 2016
Brazil - Brazilian public bank Banco do Nordeste (Northeast Bank) has created a credit line to allow companies to install solar PV and other distributed generation renewable energy sources in the mini (75kW-5MW) and micro-generation (>100kW) segment ...
Lok Capital Announces First Close of Fund III at $40.5 mn
June, 16 2016
India - The fund will be deployed in the next five years and will focus on growth stage investments in financial services, healthcare, agriculture and livelihood ...
Zambia: Swedish Agency and FSDZ Sign K36 Million Deal to Enhance Financial Inclusion‎
June, 14 2016
Zambia - The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency has signed a K36 million agreement with FSDZ to build the financial capabilities of women and youths and reduce the gender gap ...
SKS Microfinance Renamed Bharat Financial Inclusion
June, 13 2016
India - SKS Microfinance today said the name of the company has been changed to Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. ...
S. M. Indrawati, Director, World Bank: Jobs - The Fastest Road Out of Poverty
June, 10 2016
Global - For the first time in history, the proportion of people living in extreme poverty has fallen below 10%. The world has never been as ambitious about development as it is today. ...
FMO, ABN AMRO Join Hands to Float Impact Fund for Emerging Markets
June, 10 2016
Netherland - The Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO), Privium Fund Management and Dutch state-owned bank ABN AMRO have joined hands to float an impact fund called FMO Previum Impact Fund for emerging markets at large, as per a statement ...
TriLinc Global Impact Fund Makes Impact Investments in Sub-Saharan Africa
June, 09 2016
Sub-Saharan Africa - TriLinc Global Impact Fund (“TriLinc” or the “Company”) announced today that it has recently approved $24.5 million in term loan and trade finance transactions with companies operating in Sub-Saharan Africa. ...
I. Mas,Executive Director, Digital Frontiers Institute: Unlocking Empowerment for Poor Customers - Three Tips for Financial Services Providers
June, 07 2016
Global - What do we expect financial services to bring to the lives of poor people? I would say: more options on how to manage one´s circumstances and opportunities, and a sense of confidence and control over one´s future. A sense of empowerment, in other words ...
Banks’ Bad Loans Turn Indian Stock Pickers to Consumer Lenders
June, 07 2016
Inida - Indian fund managers are warming to consumer-focused lenders such as Bajaj Finance Ltd. and SKS Microfinance Ltd. at a time when many commercial bank shares are out of fashion due to rising bad loans to corporate debtors ...
EU Ready to Provide Microfinance Support to Agricultural Sector of Azerbaijan
June, 06 2016
Azerbaijan - At the meeting EU Ambassador in Baku Malena Mard has stated that the EU is interested in the development of the agricultural sector, which is defined the priority for all the 28 member countries of the EU ...
Closing China’s Credit Gap
June, 06 2016
China - Between 2011 and 2014, 180 million adults (aged 15+) became new bank account holders in China. Yet in 2014, only 9.6 percent of Chinese adults, or less than 110 million, actually accessed credit from a financial institution, which includes credit unions, microfinance institutions and cooperatives as well as banks ...
Indian MFI Janalakshmi May Land $50m IFC Debt to Expand Outreach
June, 03 2016
India - International Finance Corporation – the private lending arm of World Bank – is making a debt investment of $50 million in Bangalore-based micro-finance player Janalakshmi Financial Services Pvt Ltd ...
Zambia Expands Access to Finance with Secured Transactions Law and IFC Help
June, 03 2016
Zambia - IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has helped Zambia create a modern secured transactions law, which will allow entrepreneurs and smaller businesses in the country to use moveable collateral to access loans, supporting growth and financial inclusion and strengthening the financial system. ...
B. Thornley, Managing Parner,Tideline: The Rapid Mainstreaming of Impact Investing
June, 02 2016
Global - It’s no secret impact investing is mainstreaming quickly, with large, commercial investors like Zurich, Blackrock, and UBS taking significant strides. Yet the question remains: just how rapidly is the market changing, and what are the implications? ...
India: IPO Investors Open to Invest in Sectors Like Dairy Firms, Micro-finance and Healthcare
June, 02 2016
India - Gone are the days when traditional industries such as construction and engineering used to dominate the primary market to raise funds. ...
Caught in the Middle
June, 02 2016
Global - Around two-thirds of SMEs in poor countries cannot borrow as much as they would like, compared with a sixth in the rich world, says the International Finance Corporation, the corporate-lending arm of the World Bank. ...
Gates Offers $80M to Close Gender Data Gap
June, 01 2016
Global - To narrow these gender data gaps and accelerate progress for women and girls throughout the world, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has committed to invest US$80 million over the next three years ...

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