Microfinance Focus May 2, 2011: Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) and Pakistan Microfinance Network (PMN) recently joined hands to launch an online platform that allows micro credit lenders and other stakeholders to assess situations in their specific markets.

The mapping tool will enable stakeholders to identify geographical locations of all branches of microfinance providers in Pakistan. It will also allow microfinance providers to input their data such as branch location and population density, thus enabling stakeholders to identify market structures.

PPAF and PMN have already collaborated in the establishment of Credit Information Bureau (CIB). This current initiative would involve policy dialogue, holding of workshops and conferences.

PPAF will provide support to PMN for publishing micro notes, micro watch, holding roundtables, conferences and workshops for knowledge management and linkages of microfinance with commercial and capital markets, international trainings and exposures.

The Pakistan Microfinance Network PMN is a network of organisations engaged in microfinance and the outreach and sustainability of microfinance in Pakistan. PMN acts as a disseminator of microfinance information with the aim of providing scale, diversity and sustainability of microfinance providers in Pakistan.

The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) was established in 1997 as a not-for-profit private company. The organisations has been sponsored by the Government of Pakistan and funded by the World Bank.