Institutional Governance and Greater Financial Inclusion in microfinance
Financial services can be delivered in the long term only with sound, healthy financial institutions. Inappropriate Corporate Governance (CG) of microfinance institutions (MFIs) including Savings and Credit Unions / Cooperatives (Cooperatives) is the main cause for bankruptcy of the MFIs or over-indebtedness of their clients. Based on the experience of a SDC project in Central America on CG reforms and based on similar other relevant experiences and methodologies, FOMIN and SDC will promote CG reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean.
| Country/region | Topic | Period | Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Latin America |
Employment & economic development
Informal banking & insurance
|
01.02.2013
- 30.09.2022 |
CHF 2'370'000
|
- Foreign private sector North
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Informal and semi-formal financial intermediaries
Cross-cutting topics The project takes account of gender equality as a cross-cutting theme.
The project takes account of democratisation, good governance and human rights as cross-cutting themes.
Type of support Official development assistance (ODA)
Type of collaboration Bilateral cooperation
Finance type Aid grant
Aid Type Project and programme contribution
Tied/untied aid Untied aid
Project number 7F08449
| Background |
Microfinance is considered as an important instrument to reduce poverty. However, MFIs and cooperatives in Latin America and the Caribbean have been created with various mandates (economic, social, gender) and under different legal forms (NGOs, private, public, etc.). Very often, at the moment of MFIs and cooperatives creation best practices of Corporate Governance (e.g. clearly defining ownership, avoiding conflict of interest between owners and managers) have not been considered. Bad governance in MFIs and cooperatives contributed in several countries (Nicaragua, Bosnia, India) to client over-indebtedness and the bankruptcy of MFIs and cooperatives. With the need to access new sources of finance to maintain growth and survive crisis, CG has become a priority in the microfinance industry. Nevertheless, knowledge and capacities for the application of CG principles are lacking. |
| Objectives |
The expected impact of the project is to contribute to the soundness and sustainability of MFIs and cooperatives working for the financial inclusion of clients from poor and low-income populations, reflected in improvement of the quality of these institutions’ financial and social performance indicators. |
| Target groups |
Direct beneficiaries: more than 50 MFIs and cooperatives, more than 20 certified consultants and many more trained, Indirect beneficiaries: probably several million clients of the MFIs and cooperatives who improve their CG, at least 160.000 clients being new clients of the reformed institutions |
| Medium-term outcomes |
Contribute to improve the governance of MFIs and cooperatives serving poor and low-income population segments through implementation of standards and adoption of good practices (more than 50 MFIs and cooperatives in 3-4 countries in the region and more than 20 certified “governance experts” operating in the region.) |
| Results |
Results from previous phases: This is the first phase. Results and insights have been derived from the SDC PROMIFIN project in Central America. Evaluations of PROMIFIN have been positive and confirmed during preparation by the IDB/FOMIN (and CAF ) team. As lessons learned have been highlighted: the practical guide developed by PROMIFIN is adequate, intensive training of local consultants is necessary, but qualification of consultants needs to be senior. Finally, a partial subsidy of the CG reform processes to kick-start demand is necessary. |
| Directorate/federal office responsible |
SDC |
| Credit area |
Development cooperation |
| Project partners |
Contract partner Private sector |
| Budget | Current phase Swiss budget CHF 2'370'000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF 2'376'762 |
| Project phases | Phase 1 01.02.2013 - 30.09.2022 (Current phase) |