Jabal al-Hoss is one of the poorest areas in Syria where UNDP has supported the establishment of self-reliant local financial institutions, sanduq (sg.) lit. savings box: a novel concept in centralized banking system. The sanadiq (pl.) are self-managed and autonomous in their decision-making,...

Centenary RDB is a commercial bank that provides deposit, credit and money transfer services indiscriminately to men and women of lower income. By insisting on loan recovery and cost coverage, it has reached more men and women in rural areas than any other institution in Uganda. With minimum...

This Conference brings together the financial experience of rural and agricultural microfinance institutions and the experience of the Common Fund and other agencies with promoting commodities and small and micro-entrepreneurs producing, processing and marketing commodities. We expect that this...

Microfinance is not a recent development, and neither is the development of regulation and supervision of microfinance institutions (MFIs). Every now developed country has its own history of microfinance. It is important to recognize this because it presents a view different from that of many in...

During the last ten years, the Government of The Lao PDR, a communist country, has taken bold steps towards a market economy, creating a policy environment for the emergence of a demand-driven system of microfinance. Such a system should be based on the cultural traditions of Laos where...

We in the community of microfinance specialists want to help alleviate poverty. We think microfinance is a useful tool. Yet, by bringing these two concerns together, we might be mixing up two diverging ends: one is poverty reduction; the other one the development of a healthy microfinance...

In most developing countries, access to financial services by all segments of the population, including low-income people, is a matter of growing concern. Many governments have responded positively to this concern by embarking on financial system reform. They have attempted to match people?s...