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New Impact Investing Benchmarks to Arrive
The global-investment firm Cambridge Associates will unveil in a couple weeks real-asset impact-investing benchmarks in real estate, infrastructure, and timber. The new benchmarks “focus on the financial performance of the private funds, categorizing them by year and size,” says Jessica Matthews, managing director at Cambridge Associates.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
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Two new MFIs raise hopes for Indian sector amid repayment trouble
Microfinance companies may be in the hot seat after demonetisation-led non-repayment of loans and Uttar Pradesh government's farm loan waiver announcement, but there are people who are still keen to put money in a market where borrowers in general take joint liability to repay loans.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- South Asia
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Tanzania: 47% of GDP Transferred in Mobile Money Revolution
When Vodacom introduced the mobile money transfer service, M-Pesa, in 2008 financial inclusion in the country was below 16 per cent. Only eight years later, financial inclusion increased fivefold to reach 86 per cent putting Tanzania well ahead of most Sub-Saharan African countries.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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New RBI plan could bring bad news for m-wallets like Paytm and Mobikwik
Mobile wallet company executives last week expressed their concerns to Reserve Bank of India officials over the proposed guidelines for the sector, in their formal feedback to the regulator on them. RBI had issued draft guidelines for prepaid payment instrument (PPI) licence holders in March and several had flagged issues such as know your customer (KYC) norms.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments
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Report: Crowdfunding Potential in Nigeria
Crowdfunding is a global phenomenon but it is obviously evolving at different speeds in different countries. Africa is one region where the new form of finance can be utilized to benefit the economy. A recent report published by the CrowdfundingHub highlights a single country in Africa: Nigeria.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- crowdfunding
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Special Investigation Team to Probe Allegations of Misconduct Against Indian Microfinance Institutions
Government on Wednesday announced that a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe allegations of misconduct against micro-finance institutions.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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How to Pull Water Out of Thin Air, Even in the Driest Parts of the Globe
Scientists have developed a device that can suck water out of desert skies, powered by sunlight alone. They hope that a version of the technology could eventually supply clean drinking water in some the driest and poorest parts of the globe.
- Categories
- Technology
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Viewpoint: The Future Of Investment In PEPFAR: Understanding PEPFAR’s Multiple Economic, Health, And Diplomatic Impacts
There is much concern about the future of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, under the new administration. Since the creation of PEPFAR in 2003, the US has been the global leader in responding to the urgent need for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, and the care of orphaned and vulnerable children affected by the disease. With bipartisan support in Congress, PEPFAR was initiated under the Bush administration and continued under the Obama administration.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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