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Rapid growth of MFIs’ gross loan portfolio sets alarm bells ringing in India
Microfinance companies extended heavier loans to their customers in the last financial year, data showed, raising concerns the sector that emerged from a crisis not far ago may be growing too fast yet again for its own good.
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- South Asia
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Press Release: Accion Welcomes Raza Dean and Nick Talwar to Its Board of Directors
"We are thrilled to welcome Raza Dean and Nick Talwar to the Accion Board of Directors," said Accion Board Chair Diana Taylor. "Both individuals bring unique and extensive experience in the financial services industry."
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Deposits up 118 percent over 21 months in India’s Jan Dhan financial inclusion program
The average deposit per account under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) - a financial inclusion programme launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August 2014 - increased 118 per cent from Rs 795 in September 2014 to Rs 1,735 in May 2016, according to IndiaSpend analysis of government data.
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- South Asia
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Beyond RCTs: How Rapid-Fire Testing Can Build Better Financial Products
Rapid-fire tests are nimble randomized controlled trials specifically aimed at improving product design. They are already common practice among technology-based companies as a way to iterate and rapidly improve their product and expand their user-base, but they can also be used to answer questions about the demand for financial products and improve other interventions that help the world’s poor. Innovations for Poverty Action explores what these trials can and cannot do.
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NextBillion's weekly e-newsletter is designed to be a crib sheet for anyone interested in exploring the connection between development and enterprise. It offers a snapshot of our offerings, including links to the most thought-provoking posts, compelling quotes, photos and other highlights from the week on NextBillion.
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Storming the Walls – How Mozambique’s ‘Citadel Economy’ Shapes Financial Inclusion
In Mozambique, the combination of infrastructure deficit caused by colonial neglect and civil war, a centralist political economy, the sheer scale of poverty, and limited formal sector employment opportunities creates sharp income inequalities and shapes a "citadel economy," where high walls separate those inside and outside the enclave. This keeps financial service providers from reaching excluded target markets in the informal and agrarian economy. Christine Hougaard at Cenfri explores the problem and its potential solutions.
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Weekly Roundup: How Brexit Could Impact Emerging Markets + Other Non-Brexit News
We could not call this a Weekly Roundup without addressing Britain’s decision to leave the European Union (spoiler alert: like most economists, we're struggling to see any upside.) But for those readers who've had their fill of Brexit news, we have plenty more developments to share, including Capria Accelerator's new $100 million fund, Waste Ventures' tie up with Coke, and the dark side to alternative credit scoring.
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- Health Care, Investing, Social Enterprise
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Opportunity International and MyBucks: ‘A Powerful Partnership to Improve More Lives’
Opportunity International's sale of six microfinance banks to the fintech company MyBucks has sparked extensive analysis in recent days - along with some serious concerns. In this article, Opportunity CEO Vicki Escarra responds to the criticisms of the partnership leveled by former MFTransparency CEO Chuck Waterfield in his recent NextBillion post.
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