Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), an internet and telephone service provider based in Islamabad, recently reached an agreement with the licensed banking arm of Pakistani microfinance institution (MFI) National Rural Support Program (NRSP), NRSP Microfinance Bank, to provide the central and branch offices of the bank with internet connections and bank surveillance.
The primary network is designed to connect NRSP MF Bank branches, spread over 46 districts in Pakistan, with the head office in Islamabad through a fiber optic connection called “IP-Connect.” A secondary, satellite-based connection will reportedly function as a backup. An “iSentry” surveillance system comprised of cameras and remote recorders will be installed in NRSP MF Bank branches with the aim of protecting bank assets. The new products will reportedly decrease connectivity outages and improve the efficiency of information transfer among bank branches more efficient [1].
By John Howard-Smith, Research Associate
About National Rural Support Program Microfinance Bank (NRSP MF Bank): National Rural Support Program Microfinance Bank (NRSP MF Bank) is a microfinance bank based in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is the licensed banking arm of National Rural Support Program (NRSP), a microfinance institution (MFI) founded in 1991 in Islamabad that offers microcredit, microsavings and microinsurance products to the nation’s poor. The bank operates in 46 districts in Pakistan and has approximately 576,000 active borrowers. As of 2009, NRSP reported total assets of USD 81.5 million, return on assets (ROA) of 2.31 percent and return on equity (ROE) of 16.3 percent.
[1] Pro Pakistani: “NRSP Microfinance Bank to get Connectivity and Surveillance Services from PTCL”, http://propakistani.pk/2011/01/31/nrsp-microfinance-bank-to-get-connectivity-and-surveillance-services-from-ptcl/
MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe profile: National Rural Support Program Microfinance Bank (NRSP MF Bank), https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=National+Rural+Support+Program+Microfinance+Bank+(NRSP+MF+Bank)
Browse the MicroCapital Universe and add your entry to the wiki at: https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/
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