Archive for the ‘Financial inclusion’ Category

Microfinance Focus, Feb 9, 2010: The MasterCard Foundation and the Equity Group Foundation (EGF) have launched a program that will provide $4.6 million in educational support to 676 secondary students in Kenya over the next five years. Reeta Roy, President and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation, and EGF Chairman Dr. James Mwangi announced the partnership at an event in Nairobi on Monday, presided by Kenyan Prime ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Feb 8, 2010: In November, the EBRD teamed up with the Netherlands Development Finance Company, the International Co-operation and Development Fund (ICDF) and five commercial banks to lend €50 million to Garanti Bank. The financing will be available for investments in small companies operating outside the three main Turkish cities of Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir. Garanti Bank is one of two Turkish banks that ... Full story

MIcrofinance Focus, Dec. 7, 2009: MoneyGram International, a leading global money transfer company, announced on Monday that two more banks-Abhyudaya Co-op Bank Ltd and Thane Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd (TJSB) -- will soon be offering MoneyGram money transfer services. With these, 18 Indian banks offer MoneyGram's services. Abhyudaya and Thane Janata Sahakari banks are MoneyGram's first urban co-operatives, and they extend the company's reach into smaller ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Nov. 27, 2009: Papua New Guinea presents interesting challenges and opportunities for mobile banking, said a recently released report from the UN's Pacific Financial Inclusion Program (PFIP) and the IFC. The report on “Building a mobile money distribution network in Papua New Guinea” found that there is great demand for a system that enhances cash safety, including mobile phone transfers and a means to ... Full story

By Naagesh Naaraayana Microfinance Focus, Nov. 23, 2009: With the right market conditions, branchless banking in microfinance, including mobile phone banking, could be the primary channel for poor people to get basic financial services by the year 2020, said a CGAP report titled, “Scenarios for Branchless Banking in 2020.” The report from CGAP and the U.K.’s Department for International Development (DFID) is part of a six-month ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Nov. 23, 2009: Pakistan's Tameer Microfinance Bank, in association with Telenor Pakistan has announced launch of Money Transfer, as part of its "easypaisa" product line. Money Transfer is a secure, easy and convenient way of sending and receiving domestic remittances through "easypaisa" outlets. Users will have the convenience to access the service from more than 4,000 "easypaisa" merchants, and the bank hopes the figure ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Nov. 16, 2009: FINCA Canada is to provide microfinance loans to haitian women, said Toronto philanthropist Mike Green, who brought FINCA to Canada with the help of his wife Jacquie Green, and the support of Toronto philanthropist Linda Wolfond. “Having visited FINCA programs in Uganda and Guatemala, I have witnessed firsthand, the power of providing hard-working women with a small loan that can change ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Oct.8, 2009: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has launched the “Access to Finance Project,” aimed at collecting annual geographic and demographic data on access to basic consumer financial services worldwide. The aim of the project is development of high-quality, cross-country data for policy makers and researchers, ... Full story

Such regulations will increase the banks’ funding costs which will translate into higher lending rates -- Dr. D. Subba Rao Microfinance Focus, Oct. 7, 2009: RBI Governor Dr. D. Subbarao has said further tightening of the financial regulatory regime in India could hamper financial inclusion. Speaking ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Sept. 23, 2009: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Dutch Princess Máxima as a special advocate on Inclusive Finance, which he said can spur poverty reduction. “Your extensive knowledge and expertise makes you a perfect choice for this important undertaking,” Mr. Ban said on Monday. “You will be able to work for ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Sept. 19, 2009: Social business advisory firm Intellecap, in association with microfinance equity fund Aavishkaar Goodwell, will hold SRIJAN, a microfinance and financial inclusion event in Mumbai on Dec. 8, 2009. Full story

Microfinance Focus, Sept 11, 2009: Extreme poverty affects at least 10 per cent of the population in many parts of the Asia and Pacific region, Asian Development Bank said in a report. Titled “The Key Indicators for Asia and the Pacific 2009”, the report lists 19 economies where more than 10 per cent of the population were living on less than $1.25 a day in the latest year for which data are available. Six of the 19 economies are from the former Soviet Union. Four of the five most populous countries are also included and the data is not available for Indonesia. Full story

By Naagesh Naaraayana Microfinance Focus, Sept. 1, 2009: Achieving 9 per cent growth rate is possible when millions of people at the bottom of the pyramid are brought into the banking network, said Dr K.C. Chakrabarty, Deputy Governor, Reserve Bank of India, in New Delhi at the 62nd International Banking Summer School (IBSS) jointly organized by the Indian Institute of Banking and Finance and Indian Banks’ Association on Monday. This is possible when financial products being offered by banks reach this segment and to achieve this, integration of IT with microfinance or small rural or urban banking sector is an essential step to achieve the ultimate goal of financial inclusion, he said. Full story

By Naagesh Naaraayana Microfinance Focus, Aug. 31, 2009: Apparently there is no avenue of microfinance that it does not enter.  Kolkata-based microfinance institution Bandhan has recently launched a new product for the unemployed youth called "Employing the Unemployed". In less than two months, it has reached 35 beneficiaries in 18 districts spread over two districts in West bengal. Unlike Bandhan's other ... Full story