This chapter reviews and synthesizes theoretical and empirical research on the role of finance in developing countries. First, the paper presents the stylized facts about firms in developing nations as well as the legal, financial, and broader institutional framework in which these firms...

"Access to financial services is recognised across the world as a powerful contributor to economic growth and poverty alleviation in developing countries. Real Money, New Frontiers is a collection of case studies of innovation in Africa's financial markets, presenting vivid testimony from across...

The paper is a follow-up to an article published in Technique Financière et Developpement in 2000 (see the appendix to the hardcopy version), which portrayed the first results of a new strategy in the field of development finance implemented in South-East Europe. This strategy consists in...