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Why Microfinance Loans Have Such High Rates
In recent years, microfinance—distributing small loans to the poor -- has been at the center of an intense debate about the ethics of charging low-income customers high interest rates and then making a profit from them.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Latin America
- Tags
- lending, microfinance
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Fintech firm takes biometric microfinance tool to Uganda
Awamo, a fintech firm firm formerly known as BCB Biometric Credit Bureau, has revealed that it is taking a biometric microfinance solution it has developed to Uganda thanks to $550,000 it has raised in Series-A funding.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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OPINION: Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank – Much ado about very little
For the AIIB to be an effective political instrument, it needs to be a successful financial and development institution. That will be very hard to fully pull off.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- lending
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Breaking the Myths of Microfinance
A poor woman approaches a microfinance lender along with a couple of her neighbours and friends.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- lending, microfinance
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Mutual Funds in India Invest $157M in Secured Debentures of Microfinance Institutions
Several mutual funds based in India, including Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) Prudential Mutual Fund, Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) Mutual Fund, Kotak Mutual Fund, Reliance Mutual Fund and State Bank of India (SBI) Mutual Fund, recently invested in secured debentures issued by several Indian microfinance institutions (MFIs). The issuers include Equitas Microfinance (Equitas); Janalakshmi Financial Services (JFS); SKS Microfinance (SKS) and Ujjivan Financial Services (Ujjivan). Although the individual transaction amounts are not available, the investments by the mutual funds total approximately INR 10 billion (USD 157 million). The debentures bear coupon rates of 11.5 up to 13 percent, approximately 3 to 4 percent above than highly rated securities issued by other Indian companies. The securities are backed by receivables and fixed assets owned by the MFIs.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Grameen Koota Reaches Milestone With 1 Million Microfinance Customers
Bangalore-based NBFC –MFI, Grameen Koota Financial Services Pvt Ltd (Grameen Koota) has reached a new milestone of 1 million microfinance customers, in a testimony to its strong client-centric approach aimed at providing holistic financial and social services.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- lending, microfinance
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The Financial Power of the Group: How demand aggregation can enable consumer financing for renewable energy products
Salt farmers in Northern India use diesel pumps to help them harvest salt from sea water. They run these pumps for over 16 hours a day, which means up to 60 percent of their income is spent on fuel costs. Solar pumps could substantially increase their income, so Dalberg explored financing options that could make these pumps accessible. They discuss demand aggregation, one particularly promising solution.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Energy
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Will BRICS Bank Challenge the Bretton Woods System?
The formal opening of the BRICS Bank in Shanghai on Jul. 21, following the seventh summit of the world’s five leading emerging economies, demonstrates the speed with which an alternative global financial architecture is emerging.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Tags
- infrastructure, lending