鄱阳财政局,小熊门,蛇血欲焰未删节
英国大学金融专业coursework
小额贷款是给穷人提供的金融服务。这涉及到少量的资金- 因此属于“微”- 储蓄，信贷，保险和汇款服务。金融服务在世界许多地区的发展中有显著需求，尤其是在农村地区。正规银行系统至今未能填补国内空白，即使是为生产活动和消费核心服务的安全储蓄和短期信贷。其结果是导致一个利基小额信贷行业的出现，创新和实验，并导致成功的推出了新的商业银行部门的参与。各种各样的方法已经被用于这些低收入社区提供适当和负担得起的服务，反映了上下文和环境提供这些服务中的多样性。虽然没有恰当到每一个方面的具体方法，有一些原则被认为是在提供小额信贷服务的好做法。这些原则是共同参与小额信贷提供机构的范围，反映了恰当性和可持续发展的基本原则。 （小额信贷的原则 - 更新9月6日，世界教育澳大利亚）
Assessing The Important Elements Of Microfinance
Microfinance is the provision of financial services to the poor. This involves small amounts – hence “micro” – of savings, credit, insurance and money transfer services. There is significant net demand for financial services in many areas of the developing world, especially in rural areas. The formal banking system has so far been unable to fill the gap, even for the core services of safe savings and short-term credit for both productive activities and consumption. As a result a niche microfinance industry has emerged, and innovation and experimentation has led to success that has promoted the renewed interest and involvement of the commercial banking sector. A wide variety of methods have been used to reach these low-income communities with appropriate and affordable services, reflecting the diversity of contexts and environments in which these services are provided. While there are no specific methods that are appropriate in every context, there are certain principles that are recognized as good practice in delivering microfinance services. These principles are common to the range of institutions involved in the delivery of microfinance and reflect the fundamental principles of appropriateness and sustainability. (Principles of Microfinance – updated Sep 06, World Education Australia)
This report tells us the basic definition and functioning of microfinance. Microfinance is basically meant for that set of population that is deprived of financial services and access to credit due to lack of finances. This lack of finances makes poor people poor and the only tool to intervene in the vicious circle of poverty is microfinance.
After going over the report published by the UNDP called the Essentials on Microfinance a lot of primary concepts about microfinance got clear to me. The report highlights the major lessons learnt through past experiences. To begin with it states that role of microfinance services, firstly the use of loan should not be restricted Microfinance organizations should allow for the fact that micro entrepreneurs have a variety of uses for funds, not only for the activity for which a loan is formally given but also for household operations and other family enterprises. It would be too risky for the poor, particularly the poorest of the poor, to invest all their income in a single activity. If the single activity or enterprise failed, the consequences of this would be much greater than if they had several sources of income. Providers of quality financial services recognize this and place relatively few restrictions on loan use. Most microfinance organizations do not monitor client loans to ensure that the loan is being used for its stated purpose because they recognize that it is part of the survival strategy of poor clients to make an ongoing stream of economic choices and decisions. The clients themselves know how best to manage their funds.
Then the second thing that the report mentioned was that the microfinance institutions should provide financial services and not subsidies. For microenterprises cannot afford to subsidize loans. If the organization is to provide loans on an on-going basis, it must charge interest rates that allow it to cover its costs. These costs tend to be high because providing unsecured, small loans costs significantly more than loans in traditional banking. The costs to the institution include operating costs, the cost of obtaining the funds for loans, and the cost of inflation. MFIs cannot rely on governments and donors as long-term sources of funding. They must be able to generate their own income from revenues, including interest and other fees. Since the poor seek continued and reliable access to financial services and are able and willing to pay for it, it is advantageous to both the institution and the clients to charge interest rates that cover the cost of the services. (For a fuller discussion on setting interest rates, see Resources: Financial Sustainability, p.11.)
Thirdly it stated that microfinance contributor’s to empowerment of women. Women entrepreneurs have attracted special interest from MFIs because they almost always make up the poorest segments of society, they have fewer economic opportunities, and they are generally responsible for child-rearing, including education, health and nutrition. Given their particularly vulnerable position, many MFIs seek to empower women by increasing their economic position in society. Experience shows that providing financial services directly to women aids in this process. Women clients are also seen as beneficial to the institution because they are seen as creditworthy. Women have generally demonstrated high repayment and savings rates. MFIs interested in serving women should understand the specific needs of women clients and attract women as customers. Women often have fewer economic opportunities than men.
Women also face cultural barriers that often restrict them to the home (for example, the institution of the veil, or purdah), making it difficult for them to access finance services. Women have more traditional roles in the economy and may be less able to operate a business outside of their homes. Women also tend to have disproportionally large household obligations. Loan sizes may need to be smaller, given that women’s businesses tend to be smaller than men's. They tend to focus on trade, services and light manufacturing. Women's businesses are often based in the home and frequently use family labour. Loans to women should allow women to balance their household and business activities, for example, by not requiring that too much time be spent in meetings and holding meetings in convenient locations. The gender of loan officers may also affect the level of female participation in financial services, depending on the social context.
Then the report talks about how essential it is to develop sustainable institutions and the most important thing in it is to support institutions, not projects. This means, Donors can promote the development of MFIs by identifying and supporting promising local initiatives to develop as institutions. Donors should:
(a) identify promising local organizations; Donors should look for promising MFIs whose objectives and operations they can support rather than having to try to change them. Donors should not mandate the organization’s target groups or geographic areas of operation. (For tools to appraise potential institutions, see Microfinance
Tools: Appraising Microfinance Institutions, p.10.)
(b) identify a technical implementer;
One of the greatest areas of donor support should be to help to identify strong savings methods, reporting standards, accountability structures, and other institution-specific managerial and governance requirements.
(d) have a credible work plan and strategy for reaching sustainability.
The objective of the technical assistance is to build the local institutional capacity with a view to fostering the independent, long term growth of the institution. After the initial assessment of the organization’s needs, the technical implementer should have a work plan with a clear strategy for developing the institution’s client outreach, portfolio management, and financial sustainability. (For a fuller discussion on technical implementer who should have the primary responsibility for building the capacity of a promising local organization or local initiative. The technical implementer may be an existing local MFI that has a proven track record in microfinance or a credible international institution. Where there are no promising local initiatives to receive technical support, the technical implementer can develop a start-up organization.
(c) provide technical assistance for institutional capacity-building;
The identified technical implementer should provide technical assistance to the local organizations to develop their institutional and human capacity. Technical assistance can include a focus on: business planning, financial management systems, loan and savings methods, reporting standards, accountability structures, and other institution-specific managerial and governance requirements.
(d) have a credible work plan and strategy for reaching sustainability.
The objective of the technical assistance is to build the local institutional capacity with a view to fostering the independent, long term growth of the institution. After the initial assessment of the organization’s needs, the technical implementer should have a work plan with a clear strategy for developing the institution’s client outreach, portfolio management, and financial sustainability. |
