|
|
|
Archived FeaturesThe Microfinance Regulation and Supervision Resource Center often highlights news items, essays, publications, or pressing issues on its homepage. Below, find past features relevant to today's emerging issues for the industry.
KENYA: SACCO Societies Bill 2007 ReleasedA new bill addressing savings and credit cooperative societies (November 2007) PAKISTAN: Branchless Banking Regulations ReleasedApproved regulations for undertaking "branchless banking" in Pakistan (November 2007) ZAMBIA: Thesis on Regulation of Microfinance InstitutionsA thesis analyzing the potential impact of regulation on MFIs (January 2008) 
Featured Essay: MONGOLIAAnalysis of regulatory successes and failures, with recommendations for improving the performance of the microfinance sector in Mongolia (January 2008) 
Spotlight on: SOUTH ASIAEssays on microfinance regulation and supervision from Pakistan, Nepal, and India (November 2007) 
Country Profile Update: EGYPTThe country profile for Egypt has been completely updated. CLICK HERE to go to the Egypt homepage. (October 2007) MEXICO: Microfinance Legal/Regulatory TrainingA training for Latin American lawyers on legal aspects of microfinance (October 2007) SOUTH AFRICA: New Cooperative Banking Bill ReleasedA new bill that will increase access to financial services in South Africa (September 2007) 
Featured Essay: INDONESIAIn this essay, Sumantoro Martowijoyo -- an Indonesian microfinance expert with over 30 years of education and experience in microfinance – looks at the past, present, and future of microfinance regulation and policy in Indonesia RWANDA: New MF Policy ReleasedA national microfinance policy setting out principles for the development of the microfinance sector in Rwanda. INDIA: New MF Bill IntroducedA Bill proposing the regulation and supervision of nonprofit and cooperative organizations providing microfinance in India. KENYA: Draft MF Prudential Regulations ReleasedThe Central Bank of Kenya is seeking feedback on draft prudential regulations for deposit-taking MFIs PAKISTAN: New Prudential Regulations for MF BanksPrudential regulations for Microfinance Banks (MFBs) in Pakistan, as of March 2007 SYRIA: General Microfinance Decree Now AvailableA new decree authorizing the establishment of microfinance-oriented banks. UNITED NATIONS: Panel Discussion on Regulation of MFA panel discussion at UN headquarters preceding an upcoming study on good practices in regulation of microfinance. 
Country Profile Update: MONGOLIAThe country profile for Mongolia has been completely updated. CLICK HERE to go to the Mongolia homepage. BANGLADESH passes Microcredit Regulatory Authority ActFor the first time, all nonprofits and cooperatives that provide microcredit will be regulated by a central authority. 
Country Profile Update: KENYAThe country profile for Kenya has been completely updated. Click here to go to the Kenya homepage. 
Featured Essay: INDIAIn this essay, Sanjay Sinha -- a South Asia microfinance expert with 29 years of economic and development research experience in South and Southeast Asia – looks at past, present, and future regulatory issues with respect to the Microfinance (MF) sector in India. INDIA: New Essay Addressing Key Microcredit Regulatory ConstraintsA Working Paper from the Institute for Financial Management and Research in Chennai, India. KENYA: Microfinance Act now posted online.Kenya's new law regulating microfinance, the Microfinance Act 2006, is now available. 
Country Profile Update: BangladeshThe country profile for Bangladesh has been completely updated. Click here to go to the Bangladesh homepage. ALGERIA: CGAP/AFD Diagnostic ReportA legal/regulatory diagnostic report. 
Country Profile Update: MALAWIThe country profile for Malawi has been completely updated. Click here to go to the Malawi homepage. 
Country Profile Update: PERÚThe country profile for Perú has been completely updated by Alfredo Ebentreich, an in-country expert. Click here to go to the Perú homepage. 
Featured Essay: EGYPTIn this essay, Magdy Moussa -- a Middle East/North Africa microfinance expert with over 20 years of development experience -- provides a practitioner's overview of regulation and supervision as they relate to the Microfinance (MF) industry in Egypt. INDIA: More MFIs opting for Non-Bank Finance Company statusNBFC status associated with greater credibility, accountability, and transparency. World Bank & IFC Release Doing Business 2007Measuring regulatory costs of doing business around the world. Kyrgyz Republic: Current Regulatory Framework & Recommendations for ImprovementWhat does the regulatory environment for microfinance look like in Kyrgyzstan? What barriers currently exist, and what can be done to facilitate the development of the microfinance industry? These questions are the subject of Gulnara Shamshieva's essay. 
Bolivia: Country Profile UpdateThe country profile for Bolivia has been completely updated. Click here to view the profile and other resources, including an updated list of laws and recommended sources for further reading. The Philippines: New MF Performance StandardsThrough the efforts of the National Credit Council, Bankgo Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines), and other stakeholders, the Philippines has developed a set of uniform performance standards applicable to all types of MFIs. This essay discusses the development and implementation of the standards. FEATURE: "Consumer Protection" in Microfinance RegulationAs "client-led" products and services gain momentum, regulators and practitioners alike are paying increasing attention to the rights of the consumer in microfinance. This new feature provides a comprehensive overview of “How does Consumer Protection Relate to Microcredit?” 
India: Country Profile UpdateThe country profile for India has been completely updated. Click here to view the profile and other resources, including an updated list of laws and recommended sources for further reading. 
New Resource Center: MicroinsuranceThe CGAP Working Group on Microinsurance has just launched a Microinsurance Resource Center. Click here for resources related to microinsurance regulation and supervision. West Bank and Gaza: Meeting the Demand for MicrofinanceIn this country-level diagnostic report, the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) analyzes the environment for microfinance in the West Bank and Gaza, including an analysis of the legal and regulatory environment. New Article: How to Regulate Microfinance?In this short article reprinted from The Financial Regulator, Timothy Lyman, Senior Policy Adviser at the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), discusses key principles of microfinance regulation. Vietnam: on its way to enabling…Last year, Vietnam released a decree on microfinance institutions that would allow both deposit and non-deposit taking MFIs to operate. In this featured essay, Doan Anh Tuan addresses the development of this regulatory framework and its expected impact on the industry. Zambia: Will it work?In this thought-provoking essay, Chiara Chiumya outlines the new microfinance regulations released in Zambia in January 2006. Ms. Chiumya questions whether these regulations will actually help Zambia achieve its objectives of increasing outreach of financial services to the poor. New Tool Helps to Assess the Need for Legal and Regulatory ReformDeveloped for practical use by donors, practitioners, and other stakeholders in the field, the “Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Access to Finance: Policy and Programming Tool” provides guidelines for assessing the need for legal and regulatory reform that would increase access to finance for poor households and micro entrepreneurs. Financing Microfinance: Do Regulatory Environments Matter?A new paper commissioned by USAID surveys the legal and regulatory considerations affecting investor confidence in financing microfinance. Check out “The Ultimate Balancing Act: Investor Confidence and Regulatory Considerations for Microfinance.” 
New Nigerian National Microfinance PolicyThe Central Bank of Nigeria unveiled its National Microfinance Policy Framework in December 2005. The policy framework aims to facilitate the provision of microfinance services on a long-term, sustainable basis to the poor. See “Microfinance Policy, Regulatory And Supervisory Framework For Nigeria.” 
December's Featured Essay: KazakhstanDonors and international NGOs realized the potential of the informal finance sector that developed in the 1990s after the collapse of the Russian centralized economy, and built a microfinance industry around it by the mid-1990s. Simultaneously, they began lobbying for changes to the legal and regulatory framework that would facilitate its growth. In this essay, Janice Stallard, Chief of Party for the USAID Central Asia Microfinance Alliance (CAMFA) project, explores the history of Kazakhstan’s legal and regulatory reform—focusing on its impact on the Kazakhstan Loan Fund—and makes suggestions for reforms still needed in Kazakhstan. 
October's Featured Essay: ChinaWhile microfinance in China began in the early 1990s, it has not reached the scale one might expect in this large, densely populated country. In this essay, Du Xiaoshan, founder of China’s first microfinance organization, explores the evolution of national level policies supporting microfinance in China, focusing specifically on those areas which hinder its growth and offering recommendations for ongoing regulatory reform. Hot off the Presses: AML/CFT Regulation and Financial Services for the PoorThe World Bank Financial Integrity Unit and the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) are pleased to announce the publication of "AML/CFT Regulation: Implications for Financial Service Providers that Serve Low-Income People." The Latest Policy Diagnostics: Jordan, Morocco, and TunisiaThe CGAP Middle East/North Africa (MENA) Initiative released three policy diagnostics in July 2005. These reports make recommendations to donors and policy makers on ways to improve access to quality financial services and scale up microfinance in each of these countries. Laws and RegulationsFind links to all the relevant laws for microfinance in 50 different countries, plus recommended reading for the country, live links to the regulatory authorities and a snapshot of the investment climate.
In the News: Ongoing Regulatory ReformOngoing regulatory reform has been highlighted in a series of recent news articles worldwide. Find out what’s happening in Nepal, India, and Uganda. In the News: Georgian Regulatory ReformIn February 2005, the Georgian parliament passed amendments to the Civil Code calling for the creation of a specialized legal status for microfinance institutions, putting an end to the ambiguity in their legal status.
Featured Essay: NigeriaStephanie Charitonenko provides an insider’s look at recent discussions about improving the regulatory environment in Nigeria for its fledgling microfinance industry. In this featured essay, Charitonenko, who supports USAID’s Promoting Improved Sustainable MSME Services (PRISMS) Program, analyzes the proposed national microfinance policy and other developments to enhance access to financial services in Nigeria. Be sure to check out other articles in our Essays on Regulation and Supervision series in our Reference Library. 
Featured Essay: NicaraguaThe Legislative Assembly of Nicaragua passed a “Special Microfinance Association Law” in early 2004. Juan Vega, regional director of the PROMIFIN project, provides a detailed analysis of the various viewpoints in Nicaragua and the potential consequences this law may have on the country's growing microfinance industry that serves over 50% of clients in the financial system. 
Featured Essay: BosniaThe Resource Center has commissioned “Essays on Regulation and Supervision” in which policymakers, practitioners, and others provide their views on the impact of regulatory reform for microfinance. In this month’s featured essay, Tim Lyman, International Legal Advisor to Bosnia’s Local Initiatives Project, writes about the development of the regulatory environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina and what’s in store for the future.
|