by Meraj Husain -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Habib Bank Limited, NADRA to Expand “HBL Express” Money Transfer Service to 5,500 Additional Locations in Pakistan

NADRA Technologies Limited, a subsidiary of Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), has partnered with Karachi-based commercial bank Habib Bank Limited (HBL) to expand HBL Express, a service that allows for the payment of utility bills and sending domestic money transfers without the need for a bank account [1][2].

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: “Partnership for Financial Inclusion” of International Finance Corporation (IFC), MasterCard Foundation Donates $2.7m to AccessBank Tanzania, FINCA Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for Projects Including Mobile Banking

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the US-based World Bank Group, recently notified MicroCapital that it has launched projects with AccessBank Tanzania (ABT), a member of Germany’s Access Microfinance Holding (AccessHolding), and FINCA DRC, a subsidiary of the US-based nonprofit Foundation for International Community Assistance (FINCA International) that operates in the Democratic Republic of the Congo [1].

by Nisha Koul -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MicroEnsure, Telenor Pakistan, Jubilee Life Insurance Company to Offer Free Life Insurance to Prepaid Mobile Customers in Pakistan

The Pakistani arm of MicroEnsure, a UK-based microinsurance intermediary, has announced the launch of “Talkshawk Mohafiz Zindagi Beema,” a free mobile life insurance service, in collaboration with Telenor Pakistan, a unit of Norway’s Telenor Group. The insurance will be provided by Jubilee Life Insurance Company Limited, a Pakistani insurance provider [1].

by Adrija Vaiciulionis -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Ingenico, Tagattitude Partner to Provide Mobile Money Services in Africa

Ingenico, a France-based electronic payment company that provides point of sale (POS) payment terminals and electronic payment technology, recently partnered with Tagattitude, a French electronic financial transactions company, to provide mobile money services in Africa.

by Megan McGowan -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bangladesh Bank Asks Commercial Banks to Provide Services to Readymade Garment (RMG) Workers

The Bangladesh Bank (BB), the country’s central bank, recently asked commercial banks to provide readymade garment (RMG) workers with bank accounts so they can receive wages through direct deposit. BB requested commercial banks not to require a minimum balance or charge for banking services.

by Adrija Vaiciulionis -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bank of Papua New Guinea, Pacific Financial Inclusion Program, Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion to Extend Financial Inclusion to 1.6m People in Papua New Guinea by 2015

The Bank of Papua New Guinea (BPNG), the nation’s central bank, the Pacific Financial Inclusion Program (PFIP), a UN-sponsored initiative that provides financial services to poor people, and the Centre for Excellence in Financial Inclusion (CEFI), a coordinating entity for financial inclusion strategies in the country, met in August 2013 to discuss extending financial inclusion to 1.6 million unbanked and underbanked Papua New Guineans, of which 50 percent are low income women, by 2015.

by Michael Averell -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: International Finance Corporation (IFC), Siddhartha Bank Limited (SBL) Purchase 440k Shares of Rural Microfinance Development Center (RMDC) of Nepal Via Initial Public Offering (IPO)

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the US-based World Bank Group, recently purchased 300,000 shares at NPR 180 (USD 1.87) per unit from an initial public offering (IPO) by the Rural Microfinance Development Center (RMDC), a Nepal-based wholesale microcredit lender.

by Jennifer Young -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: 4th Pacific Microfinance Week 2013: Microfinance in the Pacific – Increasing Access, Enhancing Impact, October 21-25, 2013, Nadi, Fiji

Event Name: 4th Pacific Microfinance Week (PMW) 2013: Microfinance in the Pacific – Increasing Access, Enhancing Impact

Event Date: October 21-25, 2013

Event Location: Sheraton Fiji Resort, Nadi, Denarau Island, Viti Levu

by Makai McClintock -

MICROCAPITAL EVENT: Magenta Global to Host 4th Mobile Payments & Banking Summit for Greater Mekong & Emerging Markets, June 12-13, 2013, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Event Name: 4th Mobile Payments & Banking Summit for Greater Mekong & Emerging Markets

Event Date: June 12-13, 2013

Event Location: NagaWorld Hotel, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

by Brian LeBlanc -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Ingenico of France Launches Mobile Biometric Identification Service, iWB Bio Series

Ingenico, an electronic payment solutions company based in France, has announced the launch of a mobile fingerprint identification service called the iWB Bio Series, which is a mobile biometric identification device that allows financial institutions and governments to identify individuals who have do not  have standard forms of identification.

by Nicole Boyd -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Bank Alfalah to Offer Mobile Money Via Monet of Pakistan, Visa’s Fundamo

Bank Alfalah Limited (BAFL), a Pakistani financial institution owned by the Abu Dhabi Group of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), reportedly has partnered with two other Pakistani holdings of the same group, telecommunication services provider Warid Telecom and financial services company Monet Private Limited, to offer mobile financial services in Pakistan.

by Brian LeBlanc -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Master’s Degree Funding Available from Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP)

Applications are open through March 31 for the 2013 Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP), a program that grants scholarships for individuals to obtain master’s degrees in subjects related to economic development. 

by Brian LeBlanc -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: MasterCard Foundation Donates $4.3m to Smart Campaign for Microfinance Client Protection Effort

The MasterCard Foundation, a Canada-based institution that was founded by US-based financial services firm MasterCard Worldwide, has announced that it will donate USD 4.3 million to The Smart Campaign, a US-based consumer protection initiative targeting microfinance clients worldwide. 

by Brendan Millan -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Microfinance in Myanmar Sector Assessment”; by Eric Duflos, Paul Luchtenburg, Li Ren and Li Yan Chen; published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor), International Finance Corporation

By Eric Duflos, Paul Luchtenburg, Li Ren and Li Yan Chen, published by CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) and International Finance Corporation, January 2013, 43 pages, available at:  http://www1.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/d87bf8804e5aba9bad7dadfce4951bf6/Microfinance+in+Myanmar+Sector+Assessment-Final.pdf?MOD=AJPERES

This joint CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) and International Finance Corporation (IFC) report reviews the current state of Myanmar’s microfinance sector and the challenges involved with its future development.

by Brendan Millan -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Indonesia’s Excelcomindo Axiata Launches International Remittance Service

Excelcomindo (XL) Axiata, an Indonesian telecommunications subsidiary of Malaysia-based Axiata Group, reportedly has launched its “XL Tunai International Remittance” service, allowing customers to receive money transfers from 110 countries via text messages, a method known as short messages service (SMS).