Symbiotics NewsWatch #218, 10 July 2012

Jul. 09	Philippines: Rural Banks The recent anniversary celebration of the Rural Bankers of the Philippines–Microenterprise Access to Banking Services (RBAP–MABS) showcased how the concept and importance of microfinance has evolved in the last 15 years. Source: MB
Jul. 06	Can Myanmar Leapfrog Towards Financial Inclusion? After years of isolation, the country is finally opening itself up as can be seen by the number of international investors stepping at the door. Source: CGAP Microfinance Blog
Jul. 05	Nick Kristof on Microfinance, Banking Access and a Way Out of Poverty In New York Times, Nicholas Kristof gives the example of a family in Malawi that improved their lives as the result of a village savings group. We know that access to banks, cooperatives, and microfinance institutions has allowed many adults like the Nasoni family to safely save for the future, invest in an education or insure against risk, but just how widespread is the use of formal financial products worldwide? Source: World Bank
Jul. 04	Fallout of a Crisis: The Future of Microfinance in India After Andhra Pradesh From humble beginnings as rural giving built on a charity model, microfinance in India has grown into a multi-billion dollar industry over the last several decades. Andhra Pradesh (AP), an agrarian state located in southern India, found itself at the epicenter of Indian microfinance and MFIs in the region were among the first to attract interest from mainstream investors. Source: Huffington Post
Jul. 03	Overindebtedness is a Top Issue in MF Sector: Microfinance Banana Skins Survey 2012 The Microfinance Banana Skins Survey 2012 highlights concerns about overindebtedness, which was ranked as a top risk by over half of participating respondents. The report describes the risks facing the global microfinance industry in the early part of 2012, a time when it is struggling to recover from the global financial crisis, and from attacks on its reputation as a service to the world’s poor. Source: Microfinance Focus
Jul. 02	€8 million Loan to Bosnia's Partner Microcredit Foundation for On-Lending to MSEs The EBRD is continuing to increase the availability of financing to the real economy in Bosnia and Herzegovina with an €8 million loan to Partner Microcredit Foundation for on-lending to micro and small enterprises (MSEs). Source: Balkans