Microfinance Horizon

Press Release No:2011/015/AFR JUBA/WASHINGTON, July 9, 2011—The World Bank Group congratulates the authorities and citizens of South Sudan on the birth of their new nation in application of the overwhelming vote for national sovereignty during the peaceful Referendum in January 2011. “This is a wonderful, historic moment for the people of South Sudan, and the [...]

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7 May 2011, [PressRelease] Ha Noi, Viet Nam – ADB today concluded the 44th Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors in Ha Noi, Viet Nam and announced that the 2012 meeting would take place in Manila, Philippines. ADB’s meeting in Ha Noi started on 3 May and gathered a record number of around 4,000 [...]

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Paper Submission The University of San Diego’s Center for Peace and Commerce and Ahlers Center for International Business invite you to celebrate the legacy of C.K. Prahalad on the role of business in poverty alleviation on September 15-17, 2011. This conference provides a forum for sharing where we stand in the Base-of-the-Pyramid (BOP) field and [...]

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FMO cites Global Partnerships’ focus on microfinance-plus programs, social impact Seattle, WA, 16 April 2011 [PressRelease] Global Partnerships (GP), a Seattle-based nonprofit that invests in microfinance and other sustainable poverty solutions, and the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO), a leading European development bank, announced today that FMO has invested $4.4 million in GP’s Social Investment [...]

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9 April 2011 [ADB Press Release] MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Japan are providing assistance to develop new livelihood opportunities and improve income in some of Nepal’s poorest and most disadvantaged communities. A $2.7 million grant from Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction, administered by ADB, will be used [...]

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Author(s): Svetlana Andrianova (University of Leicester, UK) & Badi H. Baltagi (Syracuse University, U.S. and University of Leicester, U.K) & Panicos O. Demetriades (University of Leicester, UK) & David Fielding (University of Otago, New Zealand) Abstract: We put forward a plausible explanation of African financial under-development in the form of a bad credit market equilibrium. [...]

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Initiative Will Provide Model for Global Microfinance Industry Grameen Foundation today announced it is increasing efforts to improve human capital management strategies at socially-focused microfinance institutions (MFIs) in India.  The push, which comes as the Indian sector is slowly rebuilding after recent upheaval, will be supported through funding from Citi Foundation, The McGraw-Hill Companies and [...]

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5 March 2011, Geneva [PressRelease] The International Labour Organization (ILO) will mark the centenary of International Women’s Day on Monday 7 March with a panel discussion which will highlight the role of gender equality in securing a sustainable and equitable recovery. Focusing on the theme – “Making the crisis recovery work for women!” – a [...]

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25 February 2011, New York [PressRelease] The International Association of Microfinance Investors (IAMFI) today issued a report, sponsored by Morgan Stanley, on best practices and guidelines for handling debt defaults by microfinance institutions (MFIs).  In the recent past, several factors – such as increased capital flows, record growth by MFIs and the global financial crisis [...]

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21 January 2011 [PressRelease] The Asian Development Bank (ADB), with assistance from the Government of Japan, is launching a first ever remittance investment project to provide safe, affordable remittance services to thousands of Bangladeshi migrant workers and their families. The ADB Board of Directors approved a $2 million grant from the Japan Fund for Poverty [...]

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19 January 2011 [PressRelease] The Reserve Bank of India today released on its website the Report of the RBI Sub-Committee of its Central Board of Directors to study Issues and concerns in the micro finance institutions (MFI) Sector. The Sub-Committee has recommended creation of a separate category of NBFCs operating in the microfinance sector to [...]

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16 January 2011 [UNNewsCentre] From promoting sustainable development and mitigating climate change to empowering women to keeping nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today laid out the United Nations agenda for the coming year. “Success in rising to the challenge does not belong to any one of us,” he told [...]

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13 January 2011 [MFW4A] The Moroccan council of state has passed a bill modifying the existing legislation on microcredits. Microcredit activities can now be carried out either directly or indirectly using microcredit institutions, or through a public company registered by Bank al Maghrib. Microcredit institutions can also integrate the return on equity stake from registered [...]

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10 January 2011 [PressRelease] World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick arrives in India tomorrow on a four-day visit aimed at strengthening co-operation with the country as it aims to accelerate growth to provide better infrastructure and efficient social services for its people. “India’s return to high levels of growth is helping the global economy [...]

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9 January 2011 [Syminvest] Developing market-focused private equity group Leopard Capital has acquired a 33.7 per cent stake in a Cambodian microfinance institution (MFI), Intean Poalroath Rongroeurng (IPR). The Cayman Islands-domiciled firm’s Leopard Cambodia Fund will back IPR, giving it the capital to fund new microfinance loans and update its information technology systems. “IPR is [...]

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8 January 2011 [Syminvest] The potential of the Chinese micro-credit market has attracted the attention of private capital searching for higher rates of return, and provides business opportunities for micro-finance service companies. “The scale of China’s micro-credit market will reach more than 10 trillion yuan ($1.5 trillion) during the coming years, and we see huge [...]

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5 January 2011 [VCCircle] NCDs listed on BSE and subscribed by Developing World Markets, an asset manager focused on social sector. At a time when microfinance institutions are facing liquidity crunch due to the tightening in the regulatory environment,  Bangalore-based Ujjivan Financial Services has raised Rs 40 crores of debt capital from DWM (Cyprus) Limited [...]

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5 January 2011 [PressRelease] The Government of Luxembourg has committed a further €1.5 million ($1.97 million) to an Asian Development Bank (ADB)-administered fund set up to strengthen financial systems in developing countries in Asia and the Pacific to aid inclusive growth. The latest contribution to the Financial Sector Development Partnership Fund raises Luxembourg’s total investments [...]

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3 January 2011 [PressRelease] Recognizing sustainable environmental, social and corporate governance projects by financial intermediaries in Latin America and the Caribbean The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced the winners of its beyondBanking awards. The awards highlight sustainable environmental, social and corporate governance projects implemented by financial intermediaries (FIs) in Latin America and the Caribbean. “These awards [...]

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1 January 2011 [PressRelease] IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is helping Armenia’s Armeconombank expand access to finance for small and medium enterprises and boost economic recovery and growth by mobilizing international funding for the bank. IFC is providing Armeconombank with a senior loan of up to $5 million, and will mobilize a [...]

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