Library
Oct 05, 2018
SME Finance Forum member, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has collaborated with the and Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Group to launch the first gender-focused fund for Latin America and the Caribbean. The investment, ‘Fund Mujer’ is for up to $200 million and will be made up of 30 percent debt and 70 percent equity,...
Oct 05, 2018
Medici examines the widening financial gap in India and their lack of push for institutional credit for consumers. With consumer debt to GDP at only 17 percent, India falls behind major economies of Asia Pacific. According to the article, “In the absence of institutional credit at fair interest rates for a majority of the population, people at the...
Oct 05, 2018
SME Finance Forum member DBS, is encouraging customers to use a newly launched mobile banking platform, PayFast, which is supported by Faster Payments System (FPS). The system allows customers to take on transactions instantly and around the clock. Customers are able to utilize phone numbers and email addresses to move funds without transaction...
Oct 05, 2018
Fintechs understand the importance of access to finance for SMEs and so do companies. With about 95 percent of SMEs contributing as much as 30 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and are employing about 60 percent of the country’s workforce, companies like First Circle are rising to the occasion. The company, which provides business...
Oct 05, 2018
With the growth of digital divide rising, a new ecosystem developing in India features three “interrelated and mutually-reinforcing components” that will help support financial inclusion. These elements, according to the article include: National ID, bank accounts, and mobile phones provide the foundational layers and channels for people to enter...
Oct 05, 2018
SME Finance Forum member, European Investment Fund (EIF) and Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK) will support Polish SMEs with 525 million zloty (around 125 million euros) of loans over the next three years, according to the article. The new agreement will benefit almost 3,000 SMEs in the creative and cultural sectors. According to the article,...
Oct 02, 2018
Washington, D.C. October 9, 2018 – Access to Finance Rwanda became the newest member of the SME Finance Forum, a global membership network that brings together financial institutions, technology companies, and development finance institutions to share knowledge, spur innovation, and promote the growth of SMEs. “200 million businesses worldwide...
Oct 02, 2018
The Asean Financial Innovation Network (Afin) has launched API Exchange, a cross-border marketplace and sandbox for financial institutions and fintech firms to work together on financial inclusion projects. The organisation has put together a consortium led by IT firm Virtusa, and which includes German digital bank Fidor, which is a SME Finance...
Sep 28, 2018
Euromoney says SMEs account for nine out of every 10 businesses in Mexico, however only a third have access to finance. “Despite numerous financial institutions operating in the market, financial services penetration remains low,” said Norbert Schneider, principal investment officer for Mexico at the IFC. SMEs in the country are lacking credit...
Sep 28, 2018
The UN Secretary General’s High-level Meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development discussed focus of investments, measuring data for SDGs and vulnerable countries and sectors. According to the article, the meeting focused on: Aligning global financial and economic policies with the 2030 Agenda Enhancing sustainable financing...