Posts Tagged ‘IFC’

Microfinance Focus, March 6, 2010: IFC has launched a series of programs this weekend in cooperation with the central banks of Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Tanzania aimed at increasing the quality of credit reporting in Africa. The lack of credit information hinders banks from widely offering financial services, improved reporting and creditworthiness. IFC has co-hosted a series of regional workshops that brought together central banks, financial ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, March 3, 2010: IFC is providing Advisory Services to Fundación Mundo Mujer, in addition to a $6 million loan announced earlier, to support the Colombian MFI's transformation from a microcredit nongovernmental organization to a regulated financial institution specializing in microfinance. IFC will support to improve the company’s risk management systems, revising credit policies and procedures, reinforcing its training capacity, improving the finance and treasury ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Feb. 26, 2010: IFC is currently seeking partners to deliver Business Edge training in Liberia, where it is supporting private sector recovery and growth. IFC is launching the Business Edge training product in Liberia in March to help micro-entrepreneurs in the country acquire the skills they need to succeed. Business Edge is an interactive learning program that offers skills training to help managers increase ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Feb 26, 2010: Advans Banque Congo has completed a capital increase bringing total capital to $13 million, the Kinshasa-based microfinance institution announced yesterday in a statement. The capital increase was in response to new minimum capital requirements for commercial banks as set by the Congolese central bank, the bank said in a statement. Advans Banque Congo was incorporated in July 2008 and obtained its ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Feb 19, 2010: IFC has announced that it will invest 574.6 million West African francs ($1.2 million) and provide advisory services to MicroCred Sénégal to help the microfinance institution increase lending to micro and small entrepreneurs, who currently have limited access to formal financial services and products. IFC’s equity investment will help the institution expand activities, initially in Dakar and at a later ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Feb 16, 2010: The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has said it will set up microfinance institutions in Zambia this year in an effort to enhance access to microfinance services by many people, the Post of Zambia reported on Wednesday. IFC Information Officer Houtan Bassiri said the institution, which is a member of the World Bank, has partnered with Germany's KfW Entwicklungsbank in helping address ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Jan 30, 2010: IFC and the World Bank Institute are helping bankers develop financial products to improve access to finance for small and medium enterprises. IFC, the investment arm of the World Bank, in collaboration with the government of Japan and the World Bank Institute, organized training for bankers in Dhaka from January 25 to January 28.  Thirty three bankers and trainers from 20 ... Full story

By Nagesh Narayana Microfinance Focus, Jan. 29, 2010: The  First MicroFinance Institution, part of the Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance, has opened its Syria’s (FMFI-S) newest branch in Maysat, in the northern part of Damascus, on Thursday. The new branch will expand services offered to marginalised segments of the population with the aim of providing more poor people with financial services. According to studies undertaken by the ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Jan. 29, 2010: IFC, the World Bank's investment arm, has signed a long-term agreement with Sistema Integral de Abasto Rural, SA CV (Mi Tienda) to help the Mexican distribution company, known as Mi Tienda, expand its operations. IFC’s $2.5 million investment will help create more than 900 direct jobs and sustain the livelihoods of more than 25,000 rural retail store owners, most of whom ... Full story

By Nagesh Narayana Microfinance Focus, Jan. 29, 2010: World Bank's investment arm IFC has announced a $100 million equity investment in Lebanon’s Byblos Bank to help increase access to finance for small and medium enterprises and to expand the bank’s operations to frontier countries in the Middle East and Africa. This investment will help Byblos pursue its strategy of becoming a significant financial group, with a broader ... Full story

By Nagesh Narayana Microfinance Focus, Jan. 21, 2010: IFC has signed an agreement with the Aga Khan Foundation in Pakistan (AKF) to support the growth of smaller businesses in Pakistan by providing training and skills development to businessmen and women in the country. IFC and AKF(P), will partner to offer IFC’s Business Edge management training product to Pakistani entrepreneurs seeking to grow their businesses. IFC will train 20 ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Dec. 31, 1009: IFC (International Finanace Corporation) has proposed a project for supporting Fundación Mundo Mujer Popayan (FMM Popayan), a local microfinance institution in Colombia that is one of the Colombian associates of the Women’s World Banking Network. With this, FMM Popayan will be able to diversify its funding sources in order to increase financing options for low income individuals, especially micro entrepreneurs and ... Full story

By Asma Azmi Microfinance Focus, Dec. 31, 2009: The International Finance Corp, the World Bank's private sector lender, aims to make about $1 billion a year in new investments in India over the coming few years, matching the level of recent years, said a report by Reuters last month quoting a top IFC executive. IFC had shown its interest in India in October when it raised $1.6 ... Full story

Microfinance Focus, Dec. 31, 2009: IFC proposes to invest up to $10 million or 20% of the total fund size in Cygma Fund which will be managed by Cygma Corp, a specialized risk management and hedge advisory company that provides consulting services and education to MIVs and MFIs. Cygma will be a ten-year close-ended Luxembourg Fonds Commun de Placement (FCP) fund with a total capital of ... Full story