This report presents findings from a World Bank survey of approximately 125,000 adults in 123 emerging markets regarding financial inclusion. The survey was conducted during 2021 and follows analogous surveys performed in 2011, 2014 and 2017.
Account ownership among respondents in all regions has been growing rapidly, from 51 percent in 2011 to
Investment and Mortgages (I&M) Bank, a subsidiary of Kenya-based I&M Group, recently signed an agreement with Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden (FMO), a Dutch development bank, whereby FMO will deploy a guarantee from its Nasira risk sharing facility to encourage USD 15 million in lending by I&M Bank to
Banque Misr, a financial institution owned by the government of Egypt, recently agreed to work with the EU’s European Investment Bank (EIB) on technical assistance efforts to: (1) enhance Banque Misr’s risk management and company-wide best practices regarding lending to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); and (2) create new financial services through which Banque Misr can support
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), a multilateral development finance institution, recently agreed to lend USD 15 million to KazMicroFinance (KMF), a microlender in Kazakhstan. The loan is intended to boost its services to micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) – especially in rural areas – to
Ecuador’s Banco Solidario recently agreed to borrow USD 3 million from MicroVest, a debt-focused asset manager owned by US-based DAI Global, to support the microbank’s financial education of women as well as “the expansion of the company’s SME [small and medium-sized enterprise] portfolio to revive the liquidity needs of small businesses seeking working capital in the post-COVID environment.” Established in 1995, Banco Solidario offers
The conference is slated to cover investment opportunities and other strategies for addressing “gender, green finance and technological challenges” related to inclusive finance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event features seminars with titles such as
Covering the period from January 2021 to June 2021, this paper is the second part of a study analyzing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – including associated regulatory changes – on financial technology firms (fintechs) in Bangladesh. The first phase of the study found an increase in
This paper explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clients of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in terms of: “Which client segments are most affected? How are they coping with the situation? What are they doing to
This paper offers an analysis of data collected from alumni of the Women’s World Banking Leadership & Diversity for Innovation Program (LDIP), which engages “senior executives and high-potential women leaders to enable them to successfully serve low-income women” customers of financial service providers (FSPs). The authors focus on “the strategic business initiatives of LDIP participants” and
This report offers a review of prior findings on trends and best practices in “digital agriculture” services provided by mobile network operators (MNOs) and dedicated agricultural technology (agritech) companies. Digital agriculture can include a range of online tools for facilitating the usage of various types of information at any point along
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a US-based multilateral institution, recently loaned USD 15 million to Belize to provide “production-oriented capital” to 200 micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The funding is intended to assist MSMEs, particularly those led by women, in
BlueOrchard Impact Investment Managers, a member of the UK-based Schroders Group, recently announced it raised USD 207 million in the second close of its COVID-19 Emerging and Frontier Markets MSME Support Fund, which is intended to counter “the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic” among micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in low- and middle-income countries. The new investors in the funding round include IDB Invest, a member of the Inter-American
This paper offers an analysis of the impact of the SME Finance Loans For Growth (LFG) fund from its launch in 2016 through 2020. LFG is a collaboration of three Swiss organizations, the Symbiotics Group, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and
Urban areas in developing countries were especially hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic due to a range of issues including “overcrowding, poor hygiene and sanitation, and widespread informal employment.” To support urban dwellers and others, many governments across the world implemented cash-transfer programs in response to COVID-19. However, just 16 percent
This brief provides an overview of recent trends in migration and remittances globally. Overall, remittances to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) remained relatively stable through the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, decreasing from USD 548 billion in 2019 to USD 540 billion in 2020. Many countries used “counter-cyclical fiscal policy” to stimulate their economies, which
A unit of Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Incorporated (RAFI) reportedly is planning to expand its branch network as part of its efforts to help microentrepreneurs in the Philippines adjust to the COVID-19 pandemic. The entity, RAFI Micro-finance Incorporated (RMF), provides loans of up to PHP 300,000 (USD 6,277) as well as
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a multilateral financial institution that promotes economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean, recently approved a loan of USD 150 million to support micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Panama in adjusting to the COVID-19 pandemic “by facilitating access to production-oriented finance.” The funding will be delivered via
The International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, recently committed USD 1 billion to finance micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through risk sharing and mezzanine financing in collaboration with public and private financial institutions. The loan will target MSMEs in sectors considered more likely to create jobs, given the