Most micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) operate informally. While informal sectors are thought to contribute less to national economic development, MSMEs are a driving force behind national economic growth. Thus, formalizing informal MSMEs is critical to boosting national...

Islamic economics [IE] emerged with a new vision and aspiration of a better path to development. Unfortunately, IE has evolved mostly as an intellectual/academic shell, in which poverty eradication, except in rhetoric, is a peripheral concern.Gradually, IE was eclipsed by its offshoot, Islamic...

We empirically analyze the competition between a relationship lender and a transaction lender in the credit business with micro and small entrepreneurs. Drawing on a data set about the customers of the relationship lender ProCredit Ecuador combined with data about all other loans of these...

This article presents some criticisms of financial inclusion. It notes that (i) financial inclusion is an invitation to live by finance and leads to the financialisation of poverty; (ii) some of the benefits of financial inclusion disappears after a few years; (iii) financial inclusion ignores...

A superior knowledge of determinants of repayment performance can contribute significantly to the development of microfinance in Pakistan. In this study we designed to test the remarkable repayment performance of Akhuwat; most successful Islamic Microfinance Institution (IMFI) in Pakistan....

This paper extends Ghatak (1999)'s base model of group lending with asymmetric information by allowing individuals to differ both in their exogenous risk type and in their endogenous effort level. We find that joint liability leads to positive assortative matching in both a non-cooperative and a...

This study examines whether microfinance is an effective poverty reduction intervention tool and the link between access to microfinance and poverty reduction in northern Ethiopia. The study tests the hypothesis that accesses to/ or participation in microfinance eradicates poverty reduction and...

This paper describes how many countries in East Asia established from 1945 onwards a very successful local financial system, starting with Japan. These local financial systems played a key role in bringing about the so-called 'East Asian miracle'. From the 1980s onwards, however, many East Asian...

This study examines whether microfinance is an effective poverty-reduction intervention tool and the link between access to microfinance and poverty reduction in northern Ethiopia. The study tests the hypothesis that access to/ or participation in microfinance eradicates poverty reduction and...

Finance for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) has been a concern for all stakeholders including entrepreneurs, financial institutions, and government organizations. The key objective of the study was to identify various challenges faced by MSMEs in sourcing of finance during...