'This paper examines the effectiveness of micro-finance banks in poverty reduction in Tanzania; using Akiba Commercial Bank, Dar Es Salaam, as a case study.'
| No Comments | Popularity:27
'Foreign capital investment in microfinance is surging. Cross-border investment has more than tripled in the last two years. The microfinance investment vehicles (MIVs) market is concentrated in many respects. The top 10 MIVs account for 67 percent of the aggregate portfolio. A quarter of MIV investments are concentrated in just 10 microfinance institutions (MFIs). That said, MIV funds are invested in a larger pool of MFIs than international financial institutions (IFIs) are. In terms of instrum more...
| No Comments | Popularity:46
'Small and informal firms account for a large share of employment in developing countries. The rapid expansion of microfinance services is based on the belief that these firms have productive investment opportunities and can enjoy high returns to capital if given the opportunity. However, measuring the return to capital is complicated by unobserved factors such as entrepreneurial ability and demand shocks, which are likely to be correlated with capital stock. The authors use a randomized experim more...
| No Comments | Popularity:37
'There is near unanimous consensus that financial sustainability is a crucial gauge of the success of microfinance institutions (MFIs) -- after all, an MFI that can cover its costs can also grow, serving more and more clients. Today, more than 400 sustainable institutions report to the Microfinance Information eXchange (MIX), a leading source for market data. The industry as a whole is growing fast, adding 13 percent more borrowers each year since 1999. This growth is thanks in large part to the more...
| No Comments | Popularity:33
'The authors propose four reason to evaluate impact evaluations on Microfinance which can be used to estimate the impact of an entire program or to evaluate the effect of a new product or policy. (a) First, an impact evaluation is akin to good market and client research. (b) Second, even financially self-sufficient financial institutions often receive indirect subsidies in the form of soft loans or free technical assistance from donor agencies. (c) Third, impact evaluations are not simply about more...
| No Comments | Popularity:34
'This paper uses uniquely matched household, enterprise and community survey data from four major regions in rural Ethiopia to characterize the performance, constraints and opportunities of nonfarm enterprises. The nonfarm enterprise sector is sizeable, particularly important for women, and plays an important role during the low season for agriculture, when alternative job opportunities are limited. Returns to nonfarm enterprise employment are low on average and especially so for female-headed e more...
| No Comments | Popularity:29
'In most countries, reaching scale and providing real value to clients will likely require donor involvement in the medium term. Donors will need appropriate expertise and resources to engage effectively in micro insurance because it is relatively new, complex, and risky. Donors have diverse reasons for wanting to support micro insurance. Even within the same agency, different units may have varying views on how subsidies can be used best, how much clients should pay for insurance services, and more...
| No Comments | Popularity:32
