Competing in the world economy does not automatically boost a nation's productivity and restructure its economy. Such progress requires mobilizing capital, employment, technology and knowledge. Opportunities beyond the business realm must be fully exploited to the benfit of society as a whole....

The objective of this paper is to provide a regional overview of financial regulations in Latin America and the Caribbean which have the potential of constituting important obstacles to microfinance. The study attempts to identify the regulations and restrictions which may be inappropriate or...

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for understanding and analyzing how business regulations affect small and microenterprises. In doing so, it also makes a case for why particular attention should be paid to the process of initial registration of businesses and why this is a promising...

This publication aims to help donors, creditors and investors evaluate the performance, condition and risk of individual microfinance institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean, in hopes of strengthening the microfinance industry and building the microenterprise sector. It provides concrete...

This paper aims to reveal some basic trends in the financing of microfinance institutions, such as where the financing comes from, and how the distribution changes over time. The paper does not claim to be a comprehensive review of this topic, but it offers some new information and points to...

This technical guide highlights 14 of the most commonly used indicators published by the Roundtable Group and illustrates how they are used. It provides some explanation and analysis of the indicators for those who are interested in understanding their application as well as weaknesses. For each...

This paper presents a synopsis of the current state of the microfinance industry in Latin America. It provides a rough assessment of the achievement and outreach of the industry; it offers revealing information on the financial performance of 20 microfinance institutions; and it outlines some of...

This publication is aimed at bank supervisory authorities interested in or charged with developing a regulatory and supervisory framework for microfinance. It is intended to meet a growing demand for clearly identifiable principles and guidelines on how microfinance can be appropriately...

Les indicateurs présentés dans ce Guide ont été regroupés en quatre catégories principales: qualité du portefeuille, efficacité et productivité, gestion financière et rentabilité. Bien entendu, d'autres aspects peuvent aussi éclairer sur la performance des institutions de...

Competing in the world economy does not automatically boost a nation's productivity and restructure its economy. Such progress requires mobilizing capital, employment, technology and knowledge. Opportunities beyond the business realm must be fully exploited to the benfit of society as a whole....