by Charlotte Newman -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Rural Impulse Fund II, MicroVest II, ASN-Novib Fund Purchase 45% Stake In Arnur Credit Microfinance Institution of Kazakhstan

Rural Impulse Fund II, a Belgian microfinance investment vehicle managed by Incofin Investment Management; MicroVest II, a US-based equity fund managed by MicroVest Capital Management, and ASN-Novib fund, a Dutch microfinance investment vehicle managed by Triple Jump, have taken stakes totaling 45 – percent ownership in Arnur Credit, a microfinance institution (MFI) based in Kazakhstan.

by Brendan Millan -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Capgemini Group, MicroWorld Launch Digital Microfinance Platform

French information technology company Capgemini Group and MicroWorld, an internet-based microfinance intermediary and member of the French PlaNet Finance Group, have launched a digital microfinance platform that “allows individuals and companies to lend small sums of money to finance micro-entrepreneurs who are unable to access traditional banking services.”

by Charlotte Newman -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: BNP Paribas China Enters Microfinance With $2.3m Loan to MicroCred Nanchong

BNP Paribas China, a branch of the France-based financial services provider BNP Paribas, has disbursed a loan in local currency equivalent to USD 2.3 million to Chinese microfinance institution (MFI) MicroCred Nanchong, a member of the France-based MicroCred.

by Charlotte Newman -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Opportunity International Receives Grant from Credit Suisse to Expand Electronic Financial Services, Train Personnel in Africa and Latin America

Opportunity International, a US-based nonprofit organization with a focus on microfinance, has received a three-year grant of unspecified size from Credit Suisse’s Microfinance Capacity Building Initiative, a Credit Suisse program that aims to contribute to the strengthening of microfinance institutions.

by Ariana Malushi -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Citing High Repayment Rates, FINCA Zambia to Reduce Rates, Charge Interest Based on Declining Balance

FINCA Zambia Limited, a Zambian microfinance institution (MFI) affiliated with US-based nonprofit FINCA International, plans to reduce its effective lending rates in 2012 by 20 percent after having experienced a repayment rate of 97 percent during the 2011 fiscal period.

by Ariana Malushi -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Private Equity Investors Wary As Return on Equity for Indian Microfinance Institutions Drops from Over 45% to Under 20%

The steep decline in microloan repayments that began in 2010 in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) is continuing to keep private investors away from microfinance institutions (MFIs).

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: PlaNet Finance Seeking Researcher for Short-Term Study on Microfinance and Women in West Africa

PlaNet Finance, a France-based nonprofit that works to alleviate poverty through microfinance, has released a call for expressions of interest from researchers to conduct a study on microfinance and women in West Africa [1].

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Arranges $9m Syndicated Loan for Microfinance Institution Mol Bulak Finance of Kyrgyz Republic Largely Funded by FMO, Loans $39m to ProCredit Bank Serbia

Mol Bulak Finance, a microfinance institution (MFI) in the Kyrgyz Republic, will receive a syndicated loan in local currency equivalent to USD 9 million arranged by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an international financial institution headquartered in London [1].

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development Commits $520m to Small and Medium-Sized Agribusiness Enterprises in Turkey, Invests $31m in Sekerbank Bond Programme

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), an international financial institution headquartered in London, recently announced that it has committed EUR 400 million (USD 520 million) to increase financing to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agribusiness sector in Turkey [1].

by Ariana Malushi -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Groupe Provoir Launches Prevoir Kampuchea Micro-life Insurance in Cambodia

Prevoir Kampuchea Micro-life Insurance Public Limited Company (PKMI), a subsidiary of French insurer Groupe Prevoir, has been launched in Cambodia after receiving an operating license from the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

by Kristha Abores -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Too Much Microcredit? A Survey of the Evidence on Over-Indebtedness;” by Jessica Schicks, Richard Rosenberg; Published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor)

By Jessica Schicks and Richard Rosenberg, published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), September 2011, 44 pages, available at: http://www.cgap.org/p/site/c/template.rc/1.9.55377/

by Kristha Abores -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Center for Financial Inclusion Releases “Over-Indebtedness of Microborrowers in Ghana” by Jessica Schicks

The Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI), an affiliate of US-based nonprofit ACCION International, recently released a report on “Over-Indebtedness of Microborrowers in Ghana,” which explores the gap between providers’ and clients’ perceptions of indebtedness [1].

by Ashim Kar -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: Microfinance Investment Vehicles in Sub-Saharan Africa: Constraints and Potentials, by Bertrand Moulin, Published by Centre for European Research in Microfinance (CERMi)

By Bertrand Moulin, published by the Centre for European Research in Microfinance (CERMi), August 2011, 20 pages, available at: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/32967/