Successive interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) since 2015 have led to decreasing cost of funds for microfinance institutions (MFI) and a reduction in lending rates to end customers.
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MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Fairassets, Owner of Indian On-line Peer-to-Peer Lender Faircent, Sells Equity Stakes to Investors Including JM Financial, Aarin Capital, M&S Partners
JM Financial Limited, a financial services firm based in India, recently announced that it has acquired, through its subsidiary, JM Financial Products Limited, a 9.84-percent equity stake in Fairassets Technologies India Proprietary Limited, a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending company.
MICROFINANCE EVENT: Financial Inclusion Advocacy Centre, GHAMFIN Present International Investors Conference for Microfinance Institutions in the West-African Sub-region, NEW DATES September 6 – 8, 2016, Accra, Ghana
Event Name: International Investors Conference for Microfinance Institutions in the West-African Sub-region
Event Dates: September 6 – September 8, 2016 – NEW DATES
Event Location: Accra, Ghana
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: India’s Sa-Dhan, Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN) Revise Code of Conduct
Sa-Dhan, an India-based association of 214 microlenders and other financial institutions, and the Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), a trade association of 48 Indian microfinance lenders, recently launched a revised code of conduct.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Social Performance Task Force, Smart Campaign Launch Responsible Microfinance Facility (RMF) for Training, Technical Assistance in the Middle East, Africa
The Social Performance Task Force, a US-based nonprofit charged with addressing questions about measuring and managing social performance, in collaboration with the Smart Campaign, a client-protection initiative of US-based nonprofit Accion, recently launched the Responsible Microfinance Facility (RMF), a three-year initiative funded by the French government’s Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) to improve the capacity and performance of microfinance institutions in Africa and the Middle East.
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION WRAP-UP: “The Microfinance Sector in Morocco: Investment Opportunities After the Crisis;” Published by MicroFinanza Rating
“The Microfinance Sector in Morocco: Investment Opportunities After the Crisis,” published as part of the Insight series by MicroFinanza Rating, May 2014, 4 pages, available at http://www.microfinanzarating.com/images/Insight_Morocco_March_2014.pdf
Performed by Italy’s MicroFinanza Rating in May 2014, this “country screening” analyzes the political, economic and legal frameworks in which microfinance institutions (MFIs) function in Morocco.
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION WRAP-UP: “FinDev Azerbaijan: Retaining Key Staff Through a ‘Pay for Performance’ Culture;” by Sevda Huseynova, Jalal Aliyev, Kinga Dabrowska; published by Microfinance Centre
“FinDev Azerbaijan: Retaining Key Staff Through a ‘Pay for Performance’ Culture;” by Sevda Huseynova, Jalal Aliyev and Kinga Dabrowska; published by the Microfinance Centre; March 2014; 7 pages; available at http://www.mfc.org.pl/sites/mfc.org.pl/files/FinDev_SP_Fund_ENG.pdf
The authors of this paper describe Finance for Development Limited Liability Company (LLC) (FinDev), an Azerbaijan-based institution that offers economic opportunities for poor people, particularly the evolution of its “staff performance appraisal system and salary compensation scheme.”
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IFMR of India Receives Approval to Launch “FImpact Investment Fund”
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved the launch of the “IFMR FImpact Investment Fund” (IFMR FImpact), a social-venture scheme managed by IFMR Investment Managers Private Limited (IFMR Investments), the asset management arm of the Chennai-based, nonprofit IFMR Trust Group.
MICROCAPITAL PAPER WRAP-UP: “Technical Guide: Performance and Social Indicators for Microfinance Institutions;” by Sebastian von Stauffenberg, Damian von Stauffenberg, Maritza Rodriguez, Rebecca Spradlin, Antonio Bryant; Published by MicroRate
“Technical Guide: Performance and Social Indicators for Microfinance Institutions;” by Sebastian von Stauffenberg, Damian von Stauffenberg, Maritza Rodriguez, Rebecca Spradlin and Antonio Bryant; Published by MicroRate; 2014; 64 pages; available at http://www.microrate.com/media/downloads/2014/05/MicroRate_-Technical-Guide-20142.pdf
Published by MicroRate, a US-based rating agency that evaluates risk and performance of microfinance institutions (MFIs), this guide provides an outline on how to assess the quality of an MFI.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL) Upgrades Rating of Evangelical Social Action Forum (ESAF) Microfinance
Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited (CRISIL), an Indian ratings, research, risk and policy advisory company, has elevated the rating of Evangelical Social Action Forum (ESAF) Microfinance, a microfinance institution (MFI) based in the Indian state of Kerala, to “mfr2.” [1][2]
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: IsePankur’s Online Loan Site Bondora Receives Peer-to-Peer Lending License From UK’s Financial Conduct Authority
Bondora, a website owned by Estonia’s isePankur that allows individuals and enterprises to borrow from and lend to each other, recently announced that it obtained a peer-to-peer lending license from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), a regulatory agency in the UK.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: PlaNet Finance, China Microfinance Institution Association (CMIA) Seek to Strengthen Risk Management
PlaNet Finance, an NGO based in Paris, France, recently announced a partnership with the China Microfinance Institution Association (CMIA), a trade group of microfinance institutions (MFIs), to enhance risk management in the microfinance industry in China.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: India-based Satin Creditcare Raises $4.7m in Equity from Norwegian Microfinance Initiative (NMI)
Satin Creditcare Network (Satin), an Indian microfinance institution (MFI), recently announced that it has raised INR 284 million (USD 4.7 million) in equity from the Norwegian Microfinance Initiative (NMI), a Norway-based public-private partnership that invests in and offers technical support to MFIs.
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) Donates $150k to Caribbean Information & Credit Rating Services (CariCRIS) of Trinidad and Tobago to Support Small, Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs)
The Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the US-based Inter-American Development Bank, has approved a grant of USD 150,000 to the Caribbean Information & Credit Rating Services (CariCRIS) of Trinidad and Tobago to provide services including the creation of credit ratings for 60 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Caribbean.
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “A Guide to Responsible Investing,” Published by MicroRate
“A Guide to Responsible Investing,” published by MicroRate, December 2013, 7 pages, available at http://www.microrate.com/a-guide-to-responsible-investing-a-microrate-white-paper
MicroRate, a US-based for-profit microfinance rating agency, has published a primer introducing the terminology and practices used by the “responsible” investing community.
MICROFINANCE PUBLICATION ROUND-UP: Partnerships in Mobile Financial Services; Africa Microfinance Pricing Reports; Impact Assessment of EFC Zambia
“Partnerships in Mobile Financial Services: Factors for Success;” by Mark Flaming, Aiaze Mitha, Michel Hanouch, Peter Zetterli and Greta Bull; published by the MasterCard Foundation and the International Finance Corporation (IFC); October 2013; 18 pages; available at http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/88486280414940acb54ab79e78015671/Partnerships+in+Mobile+Financial+Services.pdf?MOD=AJPERES
This report presents findings from a study exploring the factors that determine the success of business partnerships among telecommunication firms, financial institutions and other organizations in providing mobile financial services.
MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “The State of Microfinance Investment 2013,” Published by MicroRate
MicroRate, a for-profit microfinance rating agency based in the U.S., has recently released its eighth annual survey of international microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs).
MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: United Bank of Switzerland (UBS) Launches “Impact Investing SME Focus Fund”
The United Bank of Switzerland (UBS), a Swiss financial services company, reportedly has launched an impact investment fund, named the “Impact Investing SME Focus Fund,” which will invest in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in unspecified emerging and frontier markets.