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Katalyst in the field of SME promotion
KATALYST is one of the largest projects which work in the field of SME promotion. It started in 2002 and is currently active in more than 30 sectors: manufacturing sectors such as plastics, furniture, agro tools; agricultural sectors like pond fishery, vegetables, maize and poultry and in service sectors, e.g. accounting, marketing and quality management. KATALYST also works with business associations to improve the enabling environment for businesses. The project&#...
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Women in enterprise development: Bangladesh perspective
Over the last three decades, there has been a dramatic increase in concern with developing and adopting strategies to address the question of feminisation of poverty. Women in Third World countries, like Bangladesh, face many social difficulties and economic deprivation. Social structures and the state environment are not favourable for the social development and economic upliftment of women. Despite several positive interventions and affirmative actions undertaken ...
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ACCION International and Citigroup Foundation Launch 2006 Microentrepreneurship Awards
For the fifth consecutive year, global microfinance pioneer ACCION International has joined Citigroup Foundation to honor hundreds of microentrepreneurs in 23 developing countries -- those individuals who demonstrate sustainability, responsibility and creativity in their businesses. The program has been designed to highlight the critical role that microfinance can play in alleviating global poverty and strengthening impoverished communities worldwide. BOSTON, Sept. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fif...
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Research Consultant Celent Predicts $20 Billion Microfinance Market by 2008
The report, released by Boston-based Celent , is titled Microfinance: What Role for Commercial Banks??. ? It sees the microfinance market growing from its current $11 billion to $20 billion by 2008. ? The self-financed study found that commercial banks are most suited to provide microfinance to the poor. ? The reasons...
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The bitter cost of ?fair trade? coffee
?No certifier is able to check that at no time are workers paid below minimum wage,? says Luuk Zonneveld, Managing Director of Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO) in Bonn. ?This issue comes up everywhere. Poor people struggle to pay their workers fairly.? The FT?s findings cast doubt on the certification process. ?The low pay issue wasn?t picked up in our audit because it wasn?t done at harvest season,? says Chris Wille, Chief of Sustainable Agriculture at Rainforest...
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Global mobile phone connections hit 2.5bn
According to the latest figures, over the four quarters to the end of September 2006, a total of 484m net additions were added to the worldwide total with 41 per cent of new connections coming from Asia Pacific. Eastern Europe and Latin America together accounted for 30 per cent of the growth, while Africa was responsible for 10 per cent of new connections. ?The cellular industry took 20 years to reach one billion connections, three years to reach two billion connections and is on target t...
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Rural, thrift banks get guide to SMEs, ?good borrowers?
IN ITS effort to help provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs), a foreign-funded project has developed a set of directories of SMEs in the Visayas that rural and thrift banks can approach for financial assistance. N ITS effort to help provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs), a foreign-funded project has developed a set of directories of SMEs in the Visayas that rural and thrift banks can approach for financial assistance. The Small and Medium Enterprise Development for Sustaina...
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Nokia Sells Handset In India At Lowest Global Price
Finland’s Nokia has started selling a CDMA mobile handset model in India at less than INR2,000 ($43), its lowest ever price point globally for the handset. Reliance Communications, India’s second-largest mobile phone operator by subscribers, will partner Nokia to market the 1255 handset model in India. NEW DELHI -(Dow Jones)- Finland’s Nokia has started selling a CDMA mobile handset model in India at less than INR2,000 ($43), its lowest ever price point globally for the...
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