The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK), a state-owned regulatory authority for the communications industry in the country, has released a report showing that the number of mobile money service subscribers dropped by 200,000 to 19.3 million between July and September 2012.
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MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Fijian Economist Baljeet Singh Recommends Government, Microfinance Institutions Expand Services to Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises to Boost Exports, Counter Urbanization
During a recent forum held in the Fijian city of Lautoka, economist Baljeet Singh reportedly called for the public sector to provide technical assistance, training workshops and “low-interest credit” in an effort to develop small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Fourth International Conference on Institutional and Technological Environment for Microfinance (ITEM4), April 11-12, 2013, Paris, France
Event Name: The Fourth International Conference on Institutional and Technological Environment for Microfinance, Financial Inclusion: Lessons Between the South and the North
Event Location: Paris, France
Event Date: April 11-12, 2013
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IFC, Global Agriculture and Food Security Program Invest $10m in Root Capital for Farmers in Africa, Latin America
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-investment arm of the US-based World Bank Group, and the private-sector office of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), a multilateral mechanism established by the G20 group of 20 large economies, have announced that each of the organizations will invest USD 5 million in Root Capital, a US-based nonprofit social investment fund.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroFinance Transparency, Pakistan Microfinance Network Partner to Collect, Publish Microloan Pricing Data
MicroFinance Transparency (MFTransparency), a US-based nongovernmental organization that provides information on microcredit products and their prices, is partnering with Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN), a network of 29 microfinance providers in Pakistan, to publish pricing data on loans offered by microfinance institutions in Pakistan.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroEnsure to Tap Data from Meteo Rwanda to Provide Weather Index Insurance for Farmers
MicroEnsure, a UK-based microinsurance subsidiary of US-based nonprofit Opportunity International, recently announced that it will be partnering with Meteo Rwanda, the country’s meteorological agency, in order to provide weather index insurance (WII) to small-scale Rwandan farmers.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oikocredit Names David Woods as Managing Director
Oikocredit, a Dutch cooperative investment fund, recently appointed Mr David Woods as Managing Director of the fund, following the retirement of former managing director Mr Ben Simmes.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) Donates $211k to Incofin Investment Management of Belgium to Renew Capacity Development Facility
Incofin Investment Management, a Belgian fund management company, and the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO), a public-private development bank founded in 1970, recently signed the fourth capacity development agreement stemming from their partnership that was launched in 2008 to strengthen a total of 14 microfinance institutions (MFIs) worldwide.
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Trends in Cross-Border Funding for Microfinance; Microinsurance Among Microcredit Groups in Tanzania; Asian Development Bank Interventions Fail to Reach Enough Poor People
“Current Trends in Cross-Border Funding for Microfinance;” by Estelle Lahaye and Ralitsa Rizvanolli; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); December 2012; 4 pages; available at: http://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/Brief-Current-Trends-in-Cross-Border-Funding-for-Microfinance-Nov-2012.pdf
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Te Creemos of Mexico First Microfinance Institution (MFI) in Mexico to Issue MasterCards, Plans to Reach 250,000 New Customers Over 3 Years
MasterCard Inc, a US-based payments and technology company, has established a new business model to reach small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by enabling regulated microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Mexico to become card issuers.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: ACLEDA Bank of Cambodia to Launch Microfinance Operations in Myanmar in January 2013
In Myanmar, which recently lifted restrictions barring wholly foreign-owned direct investments, ACLEDA Bank Public Limited Company (PLC), a Cambodian commercial bank specializing in microfinance, plans to launch microfinance operations by January 2013.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Credinka of Peru, Ugafode of Uganda, FACES of Ecuador, Agora Microfinance Zambia, ASDIR of Guatemala Borrow $4m From Triodos Investment Management
Triodos Investment Management, a subsidiary of Dutch Triodos Bank, recently disbursed loans to the following five microfinance institutions: Caja Rural de Ahorra y Credito Quillabamba (Credinka) of Peru, Ugafode Microfinance Limited of Uganda, Fundación de Apoyo Comunitario y Social del Ecuador (FACES) of Ecuador, Agora Microfinance Zambia and Asociación de Desarrollo Integral Rural (ASDIR) of Guatemala.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroEnsure Ghana Unveils “Edusave”, Incorporating Insurance, Savings, Education Finance
The Ghanaian arm of MicroEnsure UK, a microinsurance intermediary and subsidiary of US-based nonprofit Opportunity International, recently unveiled Edusave, a savings-linked life insurance and education finance product.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Opportunity International Adds Savings Services In Colombia By Converting Into Microfinance Bank With Funding From Citi Foundation
Opportunity International, a nonprofit organization headquartered in the USA that provides financial products in 24 developing countries, recently announced the establishment of a regulated microfinance bank that will take over the credit offerings it provides to underserved people in Bogotá, Colombia, in addition to rendering savings services.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bank for International Settlements Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion Conference Emphasizes Minimizing Regulation For Smaller Transactions
The Financial Stability Institute of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), an international financial institution based in Basel, Switzerland, which aids central banks in their pursuit of monetary and financial stability, recently hosted its first Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) Conference with the theme “Promoting financial inclusion through proportionate standards and guidance.”
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Juntos Finanzas of California Wins $100k Mexico Financial Inclusion Competition
Juntos Finanzas, a US-based company offering mobile personal finance tools, recently was announced the winner of the 2012 Financial Inclusion Competition created at G2012 Mexico, the seventh summit of leaders from 20 large economies (G-20), and Ashoka Changemakers, an initiative of the US-based nonprofit Ashoka.
SPECIAL REPORT: Panel: Seeking Diversification, Microfinance Investors Often Reap Annual Returns of 4%
On Friday, November 16 at European Microfinance Week, a conference hosted by the Luxembourg-based European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP), Sebastian von Stauffenberg, the CEO of US-based microfinance rating agency MicroRate, said of the larger investment community, “People outside of our microfinance bubble speak another language – if we don’t speak their language, the whole trickle-down effect [of increased investment in microfinance] does not occur.” Mr von Stauffenberg was speaking as part of a panel on microfinance investment that also included Sebastien Juhen of Swiss microfinance investor BlueOrchard Finance, who said that microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs) should work to improve their communication to investors regarding the risks of investing in microfinance including how investment managers address these risks.
SPECIAL REPORT: Sanjay Sinha of M-CRIL Calls Overexuberant Growth “Recipe for Disaster” at European Microfinance Week Opening
This morning, following a day of member meetings, the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) opened its eighth European Microfinance Week, which is themed “Combining Strength, Delivering Results” and aims to address the loss of confidence in many circles that microfinance benefits poor people. In the opening plenary session, Sanjay Sinha, managing director of India’s Micro Credit Rating International Limited (M-CRIL), said that, “Moderate growth is good for inclusion. Rampant growth, which is what we had for a long time in India, is a recipe for disaster…. In order to reduce growth, we need to temper the egos of the promoters of microfinance institutions (MFIs). And we all know we need to dampen the expectations of investors – I’m talking mainly of the Indian commercial banking sector.”