Symbiotics NewsWatch #203, 27 March 2012

Mar. 27	What Are The Realities Of Microfinance? New research is debunking myths about microfinance and showing how organizations can effectively address problems associated with poverty. Yale faculty Dean Karlan, Tony Sheldon, and Rodrigo Canales discuss the problems and the promise in the field of microfinance and the lessons for other kinds of social enterprise. Source: Forbes India
Mar. 26	Philippines: Micro-financing Has Room For Growth, Bangko Sentral ng Philipinas  An official of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said there is room for more financial institutions, noting that 37 to 40 percent of the country’s towns have no banks. Source: Positive News Media
Mar. 23	Private Equity: Funding Opportunity for SMEs Private equity (PE) funding has been one of the most significant issues for several entrepreneurs, especially those aiming to start or operating a small and medium enterprise (SME). Source: News Radio-Electronics
Mar. 22	India: At 9.3 mn, a Third of MFI Borrowers are Defaulters Almost one in every three borrowers did not repay loans to microfinance companies since the industry plunged into a crisis in October 2010. In absolute terms, close to 9.2 million customers (almost equal to Mumbai’s suburban population) have defaulted on loan repayment. Microfinance institutions currently have around 32 million clients in the country. Source: Business Standard
Mar. 21	What do International Remittances mean for Mobile Money? CGAP Releases Study on Remittances Since remittances to developing countries were estimated at about $351 billion for 2011, capturing even a small share of this market could be a transformational opportunity for mobile money providers – right? Source: CGAP
Mar. 21	Economists Demonstrate One Size Does Not Fit All for Microfinance Programs Large-scale microfinance programs are widely used as a tool to fight poverty in developing countries, but a recent study from the Consortium on Financial Systems and Poverty suggests that they can have varying results for participants and may be the most cost-effective use of funds only in limited situations. Source: Market Watch
Mar. 20	GroFin Expands Pool of SME Funding to USD323 million, Enters Three New Countries  GroFin, the multinational pioneer of growth finance working to create real impact through the support of small and medium businesses, has seen its funds under management grow from USD260 million to USD323 million. Source: Private Equity Wire