by Rohit Dayanand -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “Agritech and Fintech Providers in East and Southern Africa: A Landscape Assessment;” published by IFAD, SAFIN

The authors of this paper address: (1) the environment that financial institutions in East and Southern Africa (ESA) face when lending to agricultural micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); and (2) how this lending can be increased via agricultural technology (agritech) and financial technology (fintech) firms. The challenges include

by Vaughn Rajah -

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Publish What You Fund Releases DFI Transparency Index Ranking Disclosure Record of 30 Development Finance Institutions

Publish What You Fund, a UK-based NGO aimed at increasing the transparency of international development efforts, today launched its DFI Transparency Index, which examines and ranks the operational transparency of 30 development finance institutions (DFIs). The rankings are based on

by Bradley Shulman -

MICROFINANCE PAPER WRAP-UP: “ESG and Accountability to Communities;” Published by Publish What You Fund

This report examines 20 development finance institutions (DFIs) to learn how these organizations: (1) are transparent in terms of their policies on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues; (2) disclose ESG risks and plans to manage those risks; and (3) implement independent accountability mechanisms (IAMs) to ensure policies are being followed. Among the benefits of ESG transparency