Drawing on the experience of practitioners in the Pacific, this document provides and overview of client and credit risks, along with mitigation strategies and policies that financial services providers may wish to consider. Please use this publication as an overview to prompt further investigation, rather than a comprehensive manual that will limit risk. Read More
Description, learning objectives, and key contents for all ACCESS training courses and workshops. Read More
Other renewable energy sources like bio gas, rice husk and garbage can also be considered even at a smaller scale. But it seems talks of diversifying the energy source is still just that – talks.
Despite the minimal profits, Myanmar’s microfinance industry continue to attract international and domestic investors. Currently dominated by international development agencies, private investors are gradually entering the market, buoyed by the success of microfinance institutions (MFI) in the neighboring countries of Bangladesh, Cambodia and the Philippines where commercialization of the industry increased the number of people…
Monday will be the culmination of a development project in Kayin State, Myanmar. A conference will showcase the results of the three-year project – a registered cooperative with savings and lending service as well as an e-money service, and an enterprise and agri-business enhancement component for the borrowing members. In 2014, the project started six…
Debts when managed well can be used to facilitate sustainable development, or if not, it can be a burden to taxpayers.
The Wall St. Journal recently published an important article on microfinance (http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2015/03/18/calls-grow-for-a-new-microloans-model/). The article wasn’t important because what it said was news. The industry has known for years that very few well-designed studies have been able to detect a measurable impact from microfinance on poverty. No, what was important about the article was that if…
Photo source: Yunus book homepage In an emerging economy like Myanmar, how can development be hastened and reduce, if not totally eradicate poverty? Prof. Mohammad Yunus, Nobel laureate and founder of Grameen Bank shared his experience in a forum in Yangon organized by actionaid, an international NGO, the National Economic and Social Advisory Council (NESAC)…
The Qualitative Social and Economic Monitoring (QSEM) is a study conducted annually by Livelihoods and Food Security Trust Fund (LIFT), a multi-donor platform, to look at the changes resulting from the development interventions in various parts of Myanmar. The Round 4 of the QSEM conducted from March to May 2014 involving 1,474 respondents was recently…
The Microfinance Working Group is an informal network of microfinance institutions in Myanmar who regularly meet every two months to share updates and discuss issues affecting the industry. The first meeting for 2015 was hosted by BRAC Myanmar in their Yangon office. Among the challenges discussed during the meeting are the following: Most of the…
