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WASH Away Inequity: Lack of Access to Safe Water is the Most Crippling Obstacle Limiting Human Potential
On World Water Day, consider that 844 million people (nearly 1 in 9) lack a drinking water source that is accessible within a 30-minute round trip from their home. But though this problem can be solved by installing a tap or rain harvesting system, the upfront cost of up to $200 is often prohibitive for people living in poverty. Water.org co-founder and CEO Gary White highlights the power of the poor, when given affordable financing, to provide their own solution to the global water crisis.
- Categories
- Environment, Investing, WASH
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Egypt on the Precipice: Can Fintech Pave the Way for a More Inclusive Financial System?
Financial inclusion in Egypt has persistently lagged behind similar economies for decades. But the country now has all the hallmarks of a market ready to leapfrog: a young population, an enthusiastic embrace of social media, and more mobile subscriptions (110 million) than its population. Sarah Willis of MetLife Foundation and Mayada El-Zoghbi of CGAP lay out four criteria that Egypt must meet to bring meaningful financial services to its low-income communities.
- Categories
- Finance
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Telenor Group and Ant Financial in strategic partnership to deliver inclusive financial services in Pakistan
Telenor Group has reached a strategic partnership agreement with Ant Financial Services Group ("Ant Financial") in Pakistan, where Ant Financial will invest USD 184.5m for a 45% stake in Telenor Microfinance Bank ("TMB"), a subsidiary of Telenor Group, to further develop TMB's mobile payment and digital financial services.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Grab, Uber’s Southeast Asia rival, now offers micro-loans and other financial services
The Singapore-based company has been pushing itself into fintech for some time, with the most visible moment being the launch of its mobile payments service last November. Today, it extended that further still by introducing micro-loans and insurance options for Grab drivers and businesses that use its GrabPay services.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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Indonesia eyes fintech regulation to avoid ‘loan shark-like’ practices
The emergence of these peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platforms, offering loans ranging from as little as a few hundred dollars to several thousands, has so far been welcomed by Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy where tens of millions of people have little or no access to bank credit.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
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GIC-Backed Bandhan Bank’s Indian IPO to Raise Up to $689 Million
Bandhan Bank Ltd., the first Indian microfinance lender to get a banking permit, has set the price range for its initial public offering, which could raise as much as 44.73 billion rupees ($689 million).
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- microfinance
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Press release: OPIC unveils 2x Women’s Initiative to mobilize more than $1bil to invest in the world’s women
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) today unveiled its global 2X Women’s Initiative, which will mobilize more than $1 billion to projects that support women in developing countries, unlocking the multi-trillion dollar investment opportunity women represent. The announcement was made at the 8th Annual International Women’s Day Forum, hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
- Categories
- Investing
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Rwanda’s central bank urges MFIs to automate to reduce bad loans
The National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) has called on microfinance institutions (MFIs) across the country to embrace automation and reduce the rate of bad loans before the end of the year.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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