Microfinance News » Microfinance Conference

HRH Princess Máxima to address Microfinance Conference at University of Greenwich

Microfinance Focus — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 06:15:39 +0000

Microfinance Focus, July 23, 2010: United Nations Secretary General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, HRH Princess Máxima will be addressing a two day Microfinance Conference at University of Greenwich on 6-7 September 2010. The conference will be focussing on Microfinance and providing financial services to the world’s poor.

Other guest speakers at the conference include Robert Annibale, Global Director of Citi Microfinance and Dr Elisabeth Rhyne, Managing Director for the Centre for Financial Inclusion. Conference topics will include strategic partnerships; enhancing new partnerships; the role of institutions involved; collaborative relationships, and global versus local partnerships.

Princess Máxima works globally with government leaders, financial regulators, parliaments, civil society, the private sector and the media to raise awareness of the importance of inclusive finance to help reduce poverty. She champions access for all to financial services at a reasonable cost so that people can generate income including savings accounts, loans, insurance, payment services and pensions.

Dr Ana Marr, Director of the Leverhulme Microfinance Research Project at the University of Greenwich, says: “Microfinance has a key role to play not just globally, but in local communities too. By improving financial services for some of the poorest people on the planet, it helps them to climb out of poverty by providing a way to save safely, insure against risks and fund small businesses. This conference builds on the university’s research strengths in microfinance and I look forward to welcoming a wide range of speakers and participants.”

Robert Annibale says: “This conference will provide a platform from which we can explore the role that microfinance plays in support of financial inclusion and development, through innovative partnerships and services beyond credit, with a focus on savings. Citi’s sponsorship of this conference reinforces our commitment to the microfinance sector and expanding access to financial services to the underserved as a tool towards their achieving their goals and potential.”Related Posts:

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Indian microfinance leaders discussed over emerging issues at opening session of SA-Dhan Conference

Microfinance Focus — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:50:19 +0000

From Left Ms. Jayshree Vyas, Chairperson, Sa-Dhan, Mr. R Gopalan, Secretary DFS, Ministry of Finance & Ms. Naina Lal Kidwai, Country Head, HSBC India at Opening Ceremony of National Microfinance Conference-2010 at Hotel Ashok today

Microfinance Focus, March 17, 2010: Welcoming the audience, Ms. Jayshree Vyas, Chairperson, Sa-Dhan, congratulated the members in the gathering, at the SA-DHAN -FICCI organized two days conference “FINANCIAL INCLUSION AND RESPONSIBLE MICROFINANCE” at ASHOKA HOTEL, NEW DELHI. She drew attention to the heterogeneous group of people – particularly from the minorities, SC, ST and women, who have benefited from the efforts of the microfinance sector.

Drawing attention to the serious problems of liquidity and credit availability to the sector in the course of the global economic recession, Ms. Naina Lal Kidwai, CEO, HSBC India, also highlighted the strengths of the sector, in the keen interest evidenced in the sector by private equity investors. When growth occurs in a sector, the importance of self regulation turns out to be important; least it would be susceptible to huge risk, she remarked.

Mr. Swaroop, Chief Executive – south Asia, Standard Chartered Bank, told that the international banks have been as much part of the microfinance community as the national commercial bank s.

Mr. R M Malla, CMD, SIDBI, underlined the importance of extending longer term loans to micro finance institutions, so that they do not confront any serious asset-liability mismatch. If Microfinance Institutions were ready to transfer the reduction in interest rate to the borrowers, SIDBI would be ready to reduce interest rates, he quoted.

Mr. U C Sarangi, Chairman, NABARD opined that in the wake of the reduction of operating costs, the loan requirement of the poor should be met through reduced interest rate and they should be offered diverse products, according to their needs.

Thereafter SA-Dhan’s Side by Side Report 2009: Responsive Growth directed at enhancing transparency in the microfinance sector through reporting by MFIs was released.

Mr. R Gopalan, Secretary, Ministry of Finance, delivering the keynote address, opined that the sector should take cognizance of the concerns of the public as it grows. He mentioned that the micro finance institutions should be able to convert the government directed programmes like NREGA into business opportunities.

On the conference a yearly report on Microfinance, The Bharat Microfinance Report- Responsive Growth was launched by Mr. R Gopalan-Secretary DFS, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India, Ms. Jayshree Vyas- Chairperson, Sa-Dhan & Ms. Naina Lal Kidwai-Country Head, and HSBC India.Related Posts:

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Microfinance conference to discuss ways to enhance research usefulness

Microfinance Focus — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:06:57 +0000

Microfinance Focus, Dec. 22, 2009: The Centre for Micro Finance (CMF) in partnership with the College of Agricultural Banking – Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Pune, India will be organizing a conference on microfinance on January 8 and 9th , 2010 in Pune. The conference aims to identify areas for further research and experimentation of relevance to both practitioners and policy makers in microfinance.

Prof Abhijit Banerjee (MIT), Prof Rohini Pande (Harvard) and Professor Jonathan Morduch (NYU) among the key speakers. Other confirmed speakers include Mr. N Srinivasan, consultant and author of the State of the Sector Report, Dr. Nachiket Mor., President of ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth, and Ms. Bindu Ananth, President of IFMR Trust.

Tentative session plans for this year’s conference include, “Tailoring Financial Services to the Needs of the Poor,” which will feature key findings from the recently released book, “Portfolios of the Poor,” presented by co-author Professor Jonathan Morduch; “Impact of Microfinance,” this session will address in detail the Centre for Micro Finance’s impact evaluation of Spandana’s expansion into the slums of Hyderabad.Related Posts:

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Researchers to present insights to deflate cost in Microfinance

Microfinance Focus — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:47:19 +0000

Microfinance Focus, Nov. 29, 2009: Burgundy Business School`s organized Microfinance Conference will discuss on institutional and technological factors in microfinance which can contribute healthy growth and reduce costs. The conference will take place on Jan 7-8, 2009 in New Delhi.

This conference is aimed at researchers, both from academia and from the industry, who are looking at institutional and technological environmental factors which could increase outreach or reduce costs or both. Co-authors of “Portfolios of the Poor”, Jonathan Murdoch and Orlanda Ruthven expected to deliver key note addresses.

Microfinance is considered a poverty alleviation device, even if there is a lot of debate on whether there is any positive impact. However, even if there is a chance that it might be part of the solution, policy makers, entrepreneurs, technology experts and educators are rushing in to usher in a favorable environment for the growth of microfinance, the report said.Related Posts:

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