MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: OPIC Loans $100m to IndusInd Bank for Microfinance Lending to Women in India

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), an agency of the US government that seeks to facilitate investment by US-based firms in developing countries, recently issued an eight-year loan in the amount of USD 100 million to India’s IndusInd Bank to increase its microenterprise lending

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: OPIC Loans $5m in Local Currency to Grameen Impact Investments India for SMEs

The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), an agency of the US government that seeks to facilitate investment by US-based firms in developing countries, recently loaned INR 355 million (USD 5 million) to Grameen Impact Investments India (GIII), a unit of Grameen Capital India (GCI) that

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Legislation for Client Protection; Consumer Satisfaction in India; Women’s Financial Inclusion Data

“Client Protection Principles: Model Law and Commentary for Financial Consumer Protection;” published by the Microfinance CEO Working Group; April 2015; 66 pages; available at: http://microfinanceceoworkinggroup.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/CPP-Model-Laws-April-2015.pdf

This publication offers guidelines for creating legislation to protect low-income consumers of financial services.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Investment Bank (EIB) Lends $16.4m to Housing Finance Bank (HFB) to Support Small, Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Uganda

The European Investment Bank (EIB), a European Union-sponsored development bank, recently agreed to provide a credit line worth UGX 45 billion (USD 16.4 million) to the Housing Finance Bank (HFB), a Ugandan commercial bank, for on-lending to small and medium-sized enterprises in Uganda.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Tigo Introduces Cross-border Mobile Money Transfer Service With Currency Conversion Serving Rwanda, Tanzania

Millicom International Cellular, a Luxembourg-based telecommunications company also known as Tigo, recently introduced a cross-border mobile money transfer service between Rwanda and Tanzania that includes currency conversion.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Oxus Democratic Republic of Congo Opens New Branch, Increases Total Capital to $2.7m

Oxus Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), a microfinance institution (MFI) that opened in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May 2012, recently raised an unspecified amount of funds to bring its total capital to USD 2.7 million.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Approves $20m Loan to Edyficar of Peru to Support Housing Finance

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a US-based financial institution that supports small and medium-sized businesses, reportedly has approved a loan of USD 20 million to Edyficar, a financial institution in Peru that specializes in serving microenterprises, to increase housing loans.

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Microcredit in Mexico, Impact Investing and Microfinance, Microinsurance and Preventing Child Labor

 “Win Some Lose Some? Evidence from a Randomized Microcredit Program Placement Experiment by Compartamos Banco;” by Manuela Angelucci, Dean Karlan and Jonathan Zinman; published by Innovations for Poverty Action; May 2013; 68 pages; available at: https://poverty-action.org/sites/default/files/ipa_winsomelosesome_release_0.pdf

This paper presents an analysis of whether microcredit products are counterproductive to promoting economic empowerment, especially when such products are offered at high interest rates.

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Financing Africa, Social Performance Indicators for Microinsurance, Segmentation of Agricultural Households

“Financing Africa Through the Crisis and Beyond;” by Thorsten Beck, Samuel Munzele Maimbo, Issa Faye and Thouraya Triki; published by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), World Bank Group, African Development Bank; 2013; 322 pages; available at: http://www.afdb.org/fileadmin/uploads/afdb/Documents/Publications/Financing%20Africa%20Through%20the%20Crisis%20and%20Beyond.pdf

This book presents a review of trends in Africa’s financial sector in the context of Africa’s past economic development trends and broader historical background.

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Savings Groups in Rural Mali, Three Market Archetypes Advancing Financial Inclusion, Long-term Trends in India’s Rural Credit Market

“Final Impact Evaluation of the Savings for Change Program in Mali;” by Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology at The University of Arizona and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA); published by Oxfam America and Freedom from Hunger; April 2013; 215 pages; available at http://www.oxfamamerica.org/issues/community-finance/files/final-impact-evaluation-saving-for-change

This report presents the results from a study conducted by The University of Arizona and Innovations for Poverty (IPA) between 2009 and 2012 intended to explore the impact of savings groups in 500 villages in rural Mali, where 82 percent of surveyed households live on approximately USD 1.25 per day and the “typical village is more than 14 miles from a paved road.”

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean, Savings Groups Leading to Advocacy, Microinsurance in the Philippines

“Remittances to Latin America and the Caribbean in 2012: Differing Behavior Across Subregions;” by Maria Luisa Hayem; published by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF); 2013; 27 pages; available at http://www5.iadb.org/mif/HOME/Knowledge/tabid/426/idPublication/78709/language/en-US/Default.aspx

This report from the US-based Multilateral Investment Fund provides an analysis of remittances received across national borders by people in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Incentives for the Introduction of Agents in Colombia by Banca de las Oportunidades;” by Marulanda Consultores, published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor)

By Marulanda Consultores; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor); February 2013; 32 pages; available at: http://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/colombia_agent_subsidy_english.pdf

This report analyzes a set of incentives offered by Banca de las Oportunidades, a government organization in Colombia that aims to increase financial access, to expand networks of “non-banking correspondents” (NBCs) to reach unbanked areas.

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Global Mobile Money Adoption Survey, Eye Care for El Salvador’s “Base of the Pyramid,” Financial Needs in Rwanda

“State of the Industry: Results from the 2012 Mobile Money Adoption Survey;” by Claire Penicuad; published by Global System for Mobile Communications Association’s (GSMA’s) Mobile Money for the Unbanked program; 2012; 36 pages; available at http://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/MMU_State_of_industry.pdf

This report presents the results of the Global Mobile Money Adoption Survey, launched by GSMA’s Mobile Money for the Unbanked program “to allow mobile money service providers to benchmark their performance against their peers in the industry.”

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATON ROUND-UP: Drivers of Over-Indebtedness in Cambodia, Accelerating Impact Investing, Mobile Banking in Tanzania

“Study on the Drivers of Over-Indebtedness of Microfinance Borrowers in Cambodia: An In-depth Investigation of Saturated Areas;” by Dannet Liv; published by BlueOrchard Microfinance Investment Management, Incofin Investment Management, Oikocredit; March 2013; 83 pages; available at: http://www.blueorchard.com/jahia/webdav/site/blueorchard/shared/Publications%20and%20Resources/News%20%26%20Press%20releases/OID-Final%20Report.pdf

This report presents an analysis of the factors that drive microfinance borrowers in Cambodia to take on excessive levels of debt.

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Microfinance Institution Tiers, Microfinance in East Africa, Weather Risk Management

“Microfinance Institution Tier Definitions;” published by MicroRate; April 2013; 2 pages; available at http://www.microrate.com/media/downloads/2013/04/MicroRate-White-paper-Microfinance-Institution-Tier-Definitions.pdf

This report proposes a “tier system that defines microfinance institution [MFI] peer groups by institutional maturity to provide a foundation for industry analysis and informed dialogue.”

MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Social Performance in Nepal, Sharia-Compliant Financial Inclusion, Private Sector Employment

“State of Social Performance in Nepal;” by Mike Krell; published by Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX); March 2013; 10 pages; available at http://www.themix.org/publications/mix-microfinance-world/2013/03/Nepal-development-2013

This report from the US-based nonprofit Microfinance Information Exchange (MIX) examines the social performance (SP) of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in Nepal.

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indian Microfinance Institution Satin Creditcare Sells 20% Equity Stake for $8m from Danish Microfinance Partners, MicroVest II, ShoreCap II; Lok Capital Exits

Indian microfinance institution (MFI) Satin Creditcare Network Limited recently raised INR 410 million (USD 7.5 million) by selling a stake of approximately 20 percent to three microfinance investment funds in undisclosed portions: Danish Microfinance Partners K/S (DMP), MicroVest II LP and ShoreCap II Limited.