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Jul 2019
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Jamaica Wants to Expand Agriculture But Agribusinesses Are Finding It Impossible to Access Capital
July, 31 2019
Jamaica - Lack of access to capital for improved efficiency and expansion results in diminished productivity, which perpetuates poor agricultural performance and cycles of poverty ...
Clearer Metrics Are Needed to Assess Green Bond Authenticity
July, 31 2019
Global - A lack of agreed standards, patchy reporting and weak commitments raise significant questions for those seeking to invest for more than just financial return ...
IFC to Invest $2.5m in Sarmayacar to 'Boost Entrepreneurship' in Pakistan
July, 31 2019
Pakistan - The International Finance Corporation (IFC) will be investing $2.5 million in Sarmayacar — a venture capital firm for tech startups — in order to "boost entrepreneurship and spur economic growth" in Pakistan, a press statement said ...
In South African Townships, 'Unseen' Businesses Catch a Big Bank's Eye
July, 31 2019
South Africa - There are estimated to be up to 5.78 million micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises in South Africa according to a 2018 report by the World Bank, and while there is no recent data on the proportion of those firms which have a bank account, a 2010 survey cited in the report estimated it was less than half ...
Turning Impact Intention into Impact Evidence: How to Put the GIIN’s IRIS+ Metrics into Action
July, 30 2019
Global - In this article, we’ll take a brief look at what’s new with these updated metrics, and how impact investors, managers and practitioners alike can best turn the IRIS+ resources into actionable impact management ...
Two Months until Launch, How Is the New US DFI Shaping up?
July, 30 2019
USA - With two months before the new U.S. Development Finance Corporation is set to open its doors, the agency’s architects continue to resolve political issues and iron out operational details ...
Myanmar: Growth Potential Seen in Microfinance Sector
July, 30 2019
Myanmar - With a quarter of the Myanmar population living under the poverty line and as much as 87 percent hailing from rural areas, according to the World Bank, the microfinance sector has good potential to grow in Myanmar. However, providers can be more efficient in their funding if there is better financial data on borrowers ...
This Startup Boosts Financial Inclusion by Helping Tunisians Create Free Bank Accounts
July, 29 2019
Tunisia - Tunisian startup Kaoun is aiming to increase financial inclusion in Tunisia via its first product, a mobile and web app that allows users to create free bank accounts remotely ...
India: Account Aggregator to Make Applying for Loan Less Cumbersome for Users
July, 29 2019
India - Four major financial regulators have come together to set up a non-profit organisation that will make it easier for users to apply for loans by helping share their data with different agencies ...
USA: Goldman Sachs Launches Sustainable Investment Group
July, 29 2019
USA - Goldman Sachs last week announced establishment of the Sustainable Finance Group in an effort to push investors, bankers and insurers to act on climate change ...
Morgan Stanley Launches New Tool to Let Advisors, Investors Measure Sustainable Investing Goals
July, 29 2019
USA - Morgan Stanley is launching a new tool to help its wealth management clients identify their sustainable investing goals and track how well their portfolios match those priorities ...
First Microfinance CLO since 2007 Sold by Swiss Impact Investor
July, 29 2019
Global - Impact investor responsAbility Investments AG sold a $175 million so-called microfinance collateralized loan obligation earlier this month with the help of JPMorgan Chase & Co., reviving a type of financing for emerging-market entrepreneurs and small businesses that last saw the light of day in 2007 ...
Pakistan: Karandaaz Plans £19.5 Million Finance for SMEs
July, 26 2019
Pakistan - Karandaaz is a joint venture of UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and Bill & Melinda Foundation with committed funding of £187 million for providing financing to SMEs, microcredit and other innovative ideas for financial inclusion till 2024 ...
Pakistan: Germany to Provide Rs 4 Bln Assistance for Energy, Health, Economic Development
July, 26 2019
Pakistan - Pakistan and Germany signed an agreement for financial assistance of Euro 22.4 million to support existing projects in the area of renewable energies, better grid connections and improved access to financial services ...
Switzerland: Schroders Buys Majority Stake in BlueOrchard
July, 26 2019
Switzerland - Schroders has become the first large European fund group to place a sizeable bet on the “impact investing” market after buying a majority stake in BlueOrchard Finance in a deal valuing the specialist boutique at more than £100m ...
EIB to Support Micro-finance for Renewables in Dominican Republic
July, 26 2019
Dominican Republic - The European Investment Bank (EIB) has committed to providing EUR 5 million (USD 5.6m) to two lending entities in the Dominican Republic to support the financing of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in the country over the next two years ...
Turkey: Social Norms and Women’s Financial Inclusion - The Role of Providers
July, 25 2019
Turkey - How do financial services providers (FSPs) shape gender norms that restrict or expand women’s access to financial services? In more ways than you might think, and there are good reasons why FSPs should be aware of this ...
Côte d’Ivoire: Finance Package Approved for Azito Phase 4
July, 25 2019
Côte d'Ivoire - The International Finance Corporation (IFC), Globeleq Africa, and Industrial Promotion Services (IPS) West Africa, have committed financing totalling €264 million ($294 million) for the expansion of the Azito thermal power plant (Azito Phase 4) in Côte d’Ivoire ...
Belarus: EIB Loan Portfolio in Belarus May Be Increased to €1bn
July, 24 2019
Belarus - The EIB is now in negotiations with Belarus to extend the list of banks to participate in the SME support program. If everything goes well, the annual funding of projects in Belarus could reach €200-300 million, and then, in two or three years, total €1 billion ...
IFC Lends $35 Million to Davivienda Costa Rica to Promote Green Energy Projects
July, 23 2019
Costa Rica - The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, announced it has signed a loan of $35 million to support and incentivize the issuance of a green bond by Davivienda Costa Rica, the third-largest private bank in Costa Rica. ...
Tanzania’s Self-formed ‘Silicon Dar’ Turning City into Smart Hub
July, 23 2019
Tanzania - While the telcos guarantee Internet connectivity, infrastructure and electricity, state-run institutions in the area are also fostering data-driven innovations through small grants for youth entrepreneurs ...
India: RBI’s Vision 2021 Puts Focus on Customer Experience
July, 23 2019
India - The digital payments ecosystem has made substantial progress over the last few years. The country has witnessed a shift from paper to electronic payment methods with the introduction of innovative payment products such as Unified Payments Interface (UPI). ...
Myanmar: Proximity Finance to Provide K5 Billion in Microfinance Funding
July, 23 2019
Myanmar - Proximity Finance, the microfinance arm of Yangon-based Proximity Designs, a social enterprise outfit, has signed a K5 billion back-to-back funding agreement with Yoma Bank in a move to expand micro-lending to smallholders ...
Lebanon: BDL Processes $253M in Housing Loans So Far This Year
July, 23 2019
Lebanon - The Central Bank has been subsidizing housing loans for many years to help low-income families buy homes and to stimulate the real estate sector ...
India: Farming, Health New Focus Sectors for Impact Investors
July, 22 2019
India - Impact investments, a pathway to achieve the seemingly divergent goals of financial returns and social good, are moving towards agriculture and healthcare in the country, according to the latest report of research organisation Brookings India. ...
Demand for Green Bonds Crimped by Lack of Supply
July, 22 2019
Global - Green bonds remain a tiny segment of the fixed-income market even as the number of institutional investors chasing climate-related investments is on the rise globally ...
Turkey: Microfinance Empowers Syrian, Turkish Women
July, 22 2019
Turkey - A joint project by a local nonprofit group and the international relief organization Care, helps Syrian refugee women and Turkish women set up their own businesses ...
EBRD Finance for Women in Business Programme Reaches $561 Million
July, 20 2019
Kazakhstan - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) Women in Business programme has provided $561 million in credit lines to more than 60,000 women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 18 countries ...
ESG Investing Is a Term that Is Too Often Misused
July, 19 2019
Global - It is no bad thing that investors are looking to back more socially conscious companies, and that fund managers are offering ways to do that. But the challenge of defining buzzwords leaves a lot of room for manipulation. Fund managers must do a better job of articulating exactly what qualifies for inclusion — and why ...
World Bank Group Mobilizes Over $14.4 Billion for Latin America and the Caribbean Development in Fiscal Year 2019
July, 19 2019
Latin America and Caribbean - The World Bank Group mobilized over $14.4 billion in lending and guarantees to support sustainable development and poverty reduction in Latin American and the Caribbean during the 2019 fiscal year ending June 30 ...
New ‘Rhino Bonds’ to Allow Investors to Help with Wildlife Conservation
July, 18 2019
Global - The $50 million Rhino Impact Bonds (RIB) will be the world’s first financial instrument working toward the conservation of a species at the risk of extinction ...
Housing Microfinance Can Help Poor People Build Better Homes
July, 18 2019
Global - By 2025 some 1.6bn city dwellers will be living without decent, affordable housing, according to consultants at McKinsey. Many more people lack adequate shelter in the countryside. Now some lenders are starting to target this market directly ...
G7 Pushed to Back $255m Financial Inclusion Fund
July, 17 2019
Global - Finance ministers from the G7 will be asked to fund a $255m initiative to improve financial inclusion in the developing world, particularly for women, through increasing access to digital money transfers and digital bank accounts ...
Oltin Fund to Be First Internationally Listed Uzbek Security
July, 16 2019
Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan’s closed-end fund Oltin is set to become the first internationally listed security to provide investors with exposure to the Central Asian nation undergoing an opening up and wave of economic reform ...
Kenya: Shelter Afrique Calls the Government to Establish a Micro-finance for Housing Agenda
July, 16 2019
Kenya - Shelter Afrique, a pan-African financier in housing and real estate has urged the government to establish a housing microfinance fund to improve access to housing finance by those in the lower end of the market ...
AfDB Approves Financing Programme for African Energy Providers
July, 16 2019
Sub-saharan Africa - The program will contribute to installation of an estimated 45 MW of distributed solar PV which will provide clean energy access for 900,000 households by 2025 (4.5 million people). ...
S. Sedalia, Director at Rabin Martin: Unlocking Private Capital to Achieve 'Health for All'
July, 15 2019
Global - Global health stakeholders are eager to mobilize greater, more diverse, and more sustainable financing to improve health around the world, and many are looking to “innovative financing” as one solution ...
India: Impact Investors Caspian, Hivos-Triodos Fund Back Agri-tech Startup Ecozen
July, 15 2019
India - The agri-tech segment has seen heightened investor activity in recent months, with startups and corporates seeking to address gaps in India’s agricultural sector and modernise the value chain across the ecosystem ...
Opera Founded Startup OPay Raises $50M for Mobile Finance in Nigeria
July, 11 2019
Nigeria - OPay, an Africa-focused mobile payments startup founded by Norwegian browser company Opera, has raised $50 million in funding. OPay will use the capital primarily to grow its digital finance business in Nigeria — Africa’s largest economy ...
Assessing the Expected Impact of Investments… Before You Make Them
July, 11 2019
Global - Although it seems like a good idea, the practice of impact due diligence, which includes all assessments of expected impact before making an investment, is still largely underdeveloped, says Pacific Community Ventures ...
India: Top 10 States Have 83% Penetration of Outstanding Loan Portfolio
July, 11 2019
India - Non-Banking Financial Company-Micro Finance Institutions (NBFC-MFIs), having a market share of 37% continue to maintain their market dominance in the lending space, says the latest SIDBI-Equifax newsletter. ...
Cambodia: More Mergers, Acquisitions Ahead Says Banking Insiders
July, 11 2019
Cambodia - MGN Emperor Bank Plc’s launch into Cambodia’s growing financial industry on Sunday has led insiders to believe that fierce competition in the crowded market will lead to more mergers and acquisitions ...
Saudi Arabia, Egypt Sign Deals to Support Microfinance Projects
July, 11 2019
Egypt - The Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) is to pump 125 million Egyptian pounds (SR28.2 million) into renewable energy, agriculture and livestock projects in the African nation ...
H. Shah, Founder and CEO, Kinara Capital: 'Shoulder the Risk if You Want to Drive Financial  Inclusion'
July, 10 2019
India - Removing the burden of needing property collateral is one of the two important factors to address if one is serious about expanding financial inclusion. ...
Let’s Narrow Financial Gap for Agriculture Sector in Uganda
July, 10 2019
Uganda - The private sector needs to further de-risk the agricultural sector so as to encourage private lenders to consider increasing their lending to small scale farmers ...
International Finance Corporation Provides $65 Million for Small Businesses in Mongolia
July, 09 2019
Mongolia - IFC is providing a $65 million loan to XacBank to support the expansion of access to finance for more than 44,000 micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), to create jobs and promote economic diversification in Mongolia ...
Singapore: Asenso Raises US$1.2M to Help MSMEs Get Access to Capital, Technology in Southeast Asia
July, 09 2019
Singapore - Singapore-based fintech and retailtech startup Asenso Tech has received US$1.2 million investment from CARD MRI, a microfinance institution in the Philippines, and Talino Venture Labs, an enterprise venture accelerator targeting underserved markets ...
Sri Lanka: Credit Regulatory Authority Act to Regulate Money Lending and Micro Finance
July, 09 2019
Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka money lending and the micro finance businesses will be coming under strict regulatory control to protect customers and victims affected by unauthorized practices ...
Are Indian Social Enterprises Ready to Benefit from the Proposed Social Stock Exchange?
July, 08 2019
India - India is considering a novel way for its social enterprises and voluntary organisations to raise funds. The nature and ambit of India’s proposed social exchange, though, awaits clarity ...
Bounce-back in Small and Growing Business Investing, but Capital Gaps Remain
July, 08 2019
Global - Last year, at least 56 new investment vehicles launched raising $1.2 billion in capital to invest in small and growing businesses around the world. Still, capital gaps continue to limit the impact potential of the world’s small and growing businesses ...
Pension Funds Join Impact Investing Campaign for a Better World
July, 08 2019
Global - More pension funds now recognise the relevance of SDGs to be in the best interests of their beneficiaries. This is excellent news because all key early movers in impact investing simply do not have the same heft as capital markets participants to match the needs of the coming critical decade ...
How Ghana Is Acing its Transition to Mobile Financial Services
July, 07 2019
Ghana - While Kenya is often cited as a leading example of digital transformation, Ghana has recently become the fastest-growing mobile money market in Africa , with registered accounts increasing six-fold between 2012 and 2017. ...
Nigeria: CBN’s New Lending Directive Frees N1.5trn More for Real Sector
July, 05 2019
Nigeria - The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has dropped the loan to deposit ratio to 60 percent in order to ramp up growth of the Nigerian economy through investment in the real sector ...
Jamaica: Lenders Aiming for $100m of Loans to SMEs
July, 05 2019
Jamaica - The Access to Finance Facilitation Panel, a group made up of the Government, private institutions and business development organisations, is exploring movable assets as security for loans as one of the measures aimed at hitting a $100-million target in private sector credit to small and medium enterprises, or SMEs, by 2020. ...
UK Invests US$1.7m in Myanmar Mobile Banking Services
July, 05 2019
Myanmar - DaNa Facility and a microfinance institution will invest in a new mobile banking project which will extend digital financial inclusion to Myanmar’s unserved population in rural areas and disadvantaged groups. ...
G7 Ministers Support Impact Investments in Wake G20
July, 05 2019
Global - Statement supports the impact investing market and outcome-based funding instruments, sets the scene for a strong declaration from the G7 leaders in Augus ...
The Role of Multilaterals in Donor and Government Blending
July, 03 2019
Global - Donor governments have an important role in scaling blended finance solutions with proven development impact and the ability to mobilize additional private sector financing ...
India: What The IndusInd-Bharat Financial Combine Looks Like
July, 03 2019
India - IndusInd Bank Ltd. will complete its merger with Bharat Financial Inclusion Ltd. by July 4, bringing an end to India’s first for-profit microlender ...
Nigeria: CBN Mandates Every Microfinance Bank Branch to Get 64 New Customers Monthly
July, 03 2019
Nigeria - The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has made it mandatory for every microfinance bank branch to acquire 64 new customers monthly ...
Socially Responsible & Impact Investing: What's the Difference?
July, 03 2019
Global - Both strategies seek sustainability and profit, but one looks to 'do no harm' while the other aims to 'do good' ...
Regulations Drive Success of Digital Finance in Côte d’Ivoire
July, 02 2019
Côte d'Ivoire - In 2008, two years after M-Pesa was launched in Kenya, mobile money was introduced in Côte d’Ivoire. Since then, all three of the country’s mobile network operators (MNOs) have made significant investments in building agent networks, raising customer awareness and developing new use cases. ...
Kenya: d.light Secures Sh1.85 bn of Funding to Accelerate Growth across Africa
July, 02 2019
Kenya - d.light, a manufacturer and provider of solar power products, has announced a $18 million investment from a consortium of lenders with a focus on the renewable energy space including two responsAbility-managed funds, SunFunder, DWM and SIMA. ...
Sri Lanka: HNB’s Microfinance Unit to Raise Rs.2bn via Listed Debt
July, 02 2019
Sri Lanka - HNB Finance plans to use the proceeds to strengthen its Tier II capital base and support its loan book expansion. ...
Encourage Capital to Assist Indian Rooftop Solar Installers through a $40-Million Equity Fund
July, 01 2019
India - Through Encourage Solar Finance, specialized financial institutes in India will receive investments to develop commercial rooftop solar finance solutions for MSME ...
Philippines: BSP Pitches Agri Finance, Bank Secrecy Reforms
July, 01 2019
Philippines - The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has urged Congress to push more banking legislation this year in an effort to make the local financial landscape more competitive and accessible to Filipinos nationwide ...
Asia, Impact Investing to Gain as US$15 Trillion Change Hands among World’s Wealthiest Families over Next Decade
July, 01 2019
Global - As much as US$15.4 trillion will be passed down from one generation to the next until 2030, according to global wealth researcher Wealth-X. ...
Credicorp to Acquire Majority Stake in Colombia’s Banco Compartir
July, 01 2019
Colombia - Peru’s Credicorp is set to acquire 74.49% of the capital stock of Colombian microfinance bank Banco Compartir ...

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