This document represents a contribution made by the Tripartite Committee comprising the Organization of American States (OAS), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) to the fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Pathways to...

The IDB Group, guided by its Strategy for Microenterprise Development, has made the creation of a sustainable market of services to the sector one of its most important priorities during the past decade. This report presents an overview of the contributions the IDB has made to the...

The primary purpose of this document is to present guidelines of principles for international use that comprise best practices on the topic of regulation and supervision of microfinance operations executed by deposit-taking financial institutions. The first chapter analyzes the relevance of the...

The primary objective of this document is to put forward standard definitions for the selected financial terms, and suggest a standard method of calculating certain financial ratios. This section defines certain key financial accounts used by MFIs. The definitions are provided in two main...

This document discusses the basics on microfranchising. It reviews the concept and key elements, lessons learned from other regions, including the Grameen Bank. Finally, an agenda for the development of FOMIN microfranchising support is presented.

This report outlines the findings of the Economist Intelligence Unit's in-depth analysis of the microfinance business environment in 55 countries. The index that underlies this report allows countries and regions to be compared across two broad categories: Regulatory Framework and Practices,...

Specialized financial institutions (SFIs) have a clear interest in tapping the small business lending market, but frequently lack the know-how for doing so in a sustainable manner. This guide outlines the key conditions and steps SFIs need to take in order to set up and develop sustainable small...

La presente edición de Microempresa cuenta con dos artículos principales. En el primero se examina el hecho de que las microempresas obtienen crédito en peores condiciones que las grandes compañías: pagan más interés, reciben préstamos más pequeños relativos al flujo de caja y tienen...

This inaugural issue of Microenterprise Development Review looks at some innovative examples of commercial microfinance from around Latin America and the Caribbean and examines the conditions that made them possible. This report addresses the changes in financial regulation, combined with a...

En esta edición de Microempresa se presentan dos artículos principales. En el primero, se examina por qué siendo las instituciones microfinancieras (IMF) una oportunidad atractiva para los inversores privados, son tan pocos los inversores financieros y sociales privados que proveen fondos a...