Appendix I: Back-Home Plan by Participants

 

1. Allaoui Salha

(Algeria)

 

In Algeria:

-         the feminine population is more numerous that the population male

-         Craftswomen majorities live zone him peasants and are then more poor

-         Craftswomen perpetuate our usages and customs

               

Flat Has Term Quickest Way (1 Year)

 

A. Micro Credit Law

 

Preparation of a bill on the micro credit law:

This specific bill will serve of legal frame for the exercise of the activity of credit micro by organizations has drank no lucrative.

It will put equally he situated rule of transparence and protecting of the practice has same to make firm an organizations adaptation of credit micro to exigencies of an healthy durable evolution.

 

This law will be on good terms to associations of credit micro a certain a large number of conspicuous incitements of their to permit to cross in of sound nesses the difficult phase of start.

 

B. Creation of the Association

 

-         Presentation of documents to competent authorities 

-         Preparation of the statute of the association 

-         To fix criteria of adhesion

 

C. Looking for Sponsors

 

-         Public Banks or private

-         The  European Union

-         The Islamic Bank of Development

-         The Worldwide Bank 

-         Tall public private enterprises

 

Choice of the Zone

-         To choose a rural zone or the a large number of craftswoman is very high

-         To do gaits close to authority local to persuade them of the interest of this initiative

-         Country of sensitization close to craftswomen with the help local authorities

 

Objectives

-         Institutions reinforcement already existed

-         Contribution has implemented her of the plan of follows up economic initiates by the Government (who foresees the creation of 100.000 employments a year)

-         Elaboration of a legal frame for the development of this type of financing 

-          High value set on of the work of the woman (since she contributes has the economic growth but his work is not recognized)

-         To brake the rural exodus

 

Conclusion

Through this project, I wish to attain layers more and more broad woman like craftswomen who live in zones deserters and to integrate them progressively in the process of home development.

This vision scores to give them means to struggle against this poor little thing everything were safeguarding their dignity.

 

2. Gihan Fahim

(Egypt)

Situation:

-    Formal (Banking): Through credit lines for Microfinance Projects.

-      Informal: NGOs, CO-Ops, MFIs, Individuals, etc.

 

Outlook:

 

Vision:

-     A viable microfinance services through the different sectors such as:

-     Agricultural services.

-      Development services.

-      Social services (education, health, illiteracy, etc.)

 

Mission:

-       Providing sustainable technical and financial services in microfinance projects.

-       Creating a competitive environment in the financial markets.

-       Developing a sustainable microfinance market.

-       Decreasing the gap between the increasing demand and the available microfinance services.

 

Objectives:

-       Empowering women and other disadvantage population groups.

-          Creating employment and income opportunities.

-          Leads to more spending on basic needs (education, nutrition and health care).

-       Capacity building and technical assistance to the implementing agencies as well as the beneficiaries.

 

Activities:

-         Target Areas:

Rural Areas

Areas that suffering from a shortage in essential needs

-         Target Groups:

Women and especially household

Potential micro entrepreneurs

Small farmers and landless

Law income persons on remote areas

Tools:

-         Source of finance diversification.

-         Professional management in microfinance operations (Liquidity and Loans).

-          Capacity building.

-          Impact assessment.

-          Monitoring, verification and evaluation.

 

3. Shaban Ali Salem

(Egypt)

 

Main Issues:

-         Outreach (Target Groups):

Small Farmers

Landless

Women

Youth people

 

Accessibility:

Through specific credit Package, (including Loan size, interest rate, loan period, etc.)

-         Sustainability (Financial &Social economic sustainability)

-         Competitive in the financial market

 

Objectives:

-         Creating effective role for MFIs in the financial market.

-         Autonomy of the MFIs.

-         Technical support to the implementing of target groups.

-         Creating a sustainable source of income for the target groups.

 

Partnerships

-        Who?

Government, NGOs, Private Sector and Banks.

-        Why Government?

(As a Regulations)

-        How?

Civil society organizations, (link between society and financial sources)

 

Activities:

-        Presenting invitation to consultants and other stakeholders in microfinance sector.

-        Allocating professional design to Agribusiness activities.

-        Organizing special training programs, workshops and conference.

-        Implementing the recommendations.

 

Time Plan

-     Activity 1 (1 month)

-         Activity 2 (6 months)

-         Activity 3 (2 months)

-         Activity 4 (3 months)

 

Budgeting

-          Five Million Egyptian Pound.

 

4. Teshome Lemma

(Ethiopia)

 

Issues:

-     Ethiopia’s population grew very fast and reaches 73 million as of July 2005 (Source World Fact Book)

-     Out of this population about 33% live under poverty

-     One of the causes of this poverty is absence of access to financial service for poor people

-         The Government Committed itself to create this access

-         Due to some of the following reasons, however, the effort made by the government seems not yet becomes efficient at this time

-         Approach to MF Implementation is not diversified

-         Absence of strong partnership and collaboration between stakeholders. 

 

Objective of the Plan:

General Objective:

Creating better policy environment to improve MF implementation.

 

Specific Objectives:

-    Adjusting Economic and Financial Policies in order to serve the purpose of MF implementation

-        Based on adjusted policies diversifying approach of MF implementation

-        Establishing true partnership and collaboration between stakeholders

 

Major Strategies will be used to implement this plan:

-        Assessing the Existing economic and financial policy implementation in line with MF by establishing taskforce

-        Critical examination of the existing approach of MF implementation

-        Establishing National Forum comprising of Governmental, NGOs and others

-        In order to adopt countries experience NAM Centre will be consulted for technical assistance

 

Activities to be undertaken by this plan:

-         Identifying Taskforce Group Member for Policy Assessment from relevant institution

-         The Taskforce will prepare its detail Assessment Plan

-         The Assessment will be conducted by the Taskforce

-         National Workshop will be organized on the Assessment Report

-         National Workshop will be organized to examine the existing MF implementation and its approach

-         To establish MF Forum TOR will be prepared

-         The prepared TOR will be communicated to all Stakeholders by organizing workshop and the Forum established

 

Time of Implementation of the Plan:

December 2005-December 2006

  

5. Julius K. Mutua

(Kenya)

 

Background Information:

-         Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) in Kenya are estimated to be over 2,000 despite the mash rooming of these institutions, there exists no policy/legal framework for wholesaler MFIs in the country to serve MFIs needs particularly on funding, capacity building and rating issues. As a result, many of the MFIs are under funded, lack microfinance expertise and hence are poorly managed. In addition, there sustainability is not known thus making it difficult for them to access funding from banks.

-         The Government of Kenya in partnership with the European Commission sometimes in the past established a Micro enterprise Support Trust Fund (MESPT) which resembles a wholesaler MFI but is today suffering from liquidity problems due to its funding limitation by law. It only operates with the seed money injected at the time of its inception by the co-sponsors. Consequently, it has not been able to meet the increasing demand for funding by MFIs.

-         The formal banking system require collateral to lent money to their borrowers. Most MFIs lack this collateral hence cannot access funds from these Institutions. This has largely affected MFIs’ outreach. To this end, there exists no policy direction in Kenya to put in place Institution/s responsible for offering funding, capacity building and rating services to MFIs

 

Objectives:

-         To ensure easy access of adequate funding by MFIs

-         Improve the capacity of MFIs’ management and staff

-         To ensure that MFIs are rated and a credit reference bureau established for information exchange.

 

Activities/Implementation Period:

-         Sale the idea to the Kenyan government by preparing a precise and concise paper on the need to set up MF wholesaler Institutions (1month)

-         Analysis and incorporation of comments from relevant government departments (1month)

-         Sensitization program to stakeholders and the public at large by way of seminars (4 months)

-         Formation of a representative steering committee to work on the modalities (2 months)

-         Feedback to government and adoption of the way forward (2 months)

-         Finalization of procedures for registration (1 months)

-         Source for technical assistance from successful countries with wholesaler MFIs like Bangladesh and the Philippines (1 month).  

 

Estimated Budget:

US$20,000.

 

6. Ranarivelo Ralinoro Philibertine

(Madagascar)

 

Microfinance is an instrument which is widely believed as an effective tool in alleviating poverty and empowering economy. Most governments intend to be the player of Microfinance development through projects or program which will be sustainable. In my opinion, the government must be a policy maker and a facilitator of Microfinance development rather than a player.

 

Initiatives:

To achieve sustainability Microfinance must be profitable and considered as a business. The complexity of achieving high levels of staff performance should not be under estimated. Main causes of problem operational risks are due according to staff members. They must have suitable experiences in management to operate in Microfinance.

Each community has a different idea of poverty. It’s impossible to mesure every community by the same standard, so it’s more interesting to have a right definition of  poverty according to the context, the area, the country.

 

Approaches for the Development of Microfinance:

In my opinion a special Microcredit Law is necessary to coordinate all the actions in the sector. All the operations must have their appropriate rules to be efficient. This Law must be more flexible, more suitable for the sector. For example,   prudential norms as required in banks would be not necessary for certain forms of microfinance. Business plans also would not be required for certain levels of MFI. This law must considerate many levels of MFI’s according to their size, their activities (saving, loans)

I think that to make Microfinance more attractive we must introduce innovation, new products suitable to the context. For example, in agricultural area, it’s interesting to have warehouses where clients of MFI can stock their products during the harvest time, and later when the price is growing up they can sell and have one profit with their wares.

We must have new markets and should find new process of refining methodology according up to date marketing system.

 

During this session we found many approaches to mitigate the principal operational risks, we must take a great care to apply them in our country.

To operate, MFI must have more advocacy rules, then we can realize a start-up for a development of Microfinance sector.

 

Conclusion:

To be an effective tool to alleviate poverty and to empower economy Microfinance must have a suitable environment according to context, according to level of poverty, according to main causes of problem operational risks.

However, we must have a relation between bank and MFI., to reach later one  integration in the financial system.

The advocacy rules should be not under estimated.

To be efficient the MFI’s must operate with more professionalism which achieve their sustainability and also their development.

We must believe and think that Microfinance is a really tool to alleviate poverty if we take a great care to make one better environment for Microfinance in each of our country.

 

7. Selinah Meroro

(Namibia)

 

-         Regulation Frame Work for MFIs

-         Collecy data on all MFIs operating in the country

-         Visit MFIs and investigate their operations

 

Institutions to be consulted:

-         Ministry of Finance

-         Ministry of Agriculture (Department of Cooperatives Development)

-         Namibia Financial Institutions Supervisory Authority (NAMFISA)

-         Agriculture Bank of Namibia (Agribank)

-         NGOs

-         Commercial Banks

-         Stakeholders (MFIs)

 

8. Amos Robert Kalumelume

(Namibia)

 

I am regarding and much experience that MFI is a fool to alleviate poverty in the world. That is why I am full supporting that programme to be implemented and regulated in Namibia the whole.

 

Objective:

MFI and MFW will create many opportunity of business initiative and the target group for sure are poor women and some men from rural and urban area.

 

Three Steps to Find a Goal:

-                     Firstly

            As I am participant, I am going to approach our government through Ministry of Trade and industry to introduce MFW in parliament for regulation policy and initiative of institution.

-                     Secondly

            I will requested my corporation as a micro finance institution within one month so that to be a first beneficial (MFI) of MFW when it will be implemented in our country.

-           Thirdly

            I am also requesting our government to put network system for a small entrepreneur between Namibia and Indonesia (as a beneficial of MFI). Because in Indonesia, there is a big challenge of microfinance enterprise by comparing $Namibia and Indonesia Rupiah.

 

            That Network system will be work as an import easy access process to help the SE/ME to exporting or importing their Commodity directly to the others SE/ME.

 

Strategy:

-                     Big survey needed to be contacted in the country to find out who ready to become MFW (as existed corporation or NGO) in the whole country before end of 2005/2006 financial year

-                     Government also need to regulate the policy of MFI before end of 2005/2006 financial year

-                     MFW to be self independent from political policy and bank law policy

-                     Government, NGO’s and Donor to be approached soon for MFW funding  (fund rising)

 

Collection:

All fund members to be playing a roll in monitoring the whole activities of MFW and MFI and first 5 years of beginning and give big support in book keeping, training, marketing customer care and cash flow.

Within 12 months from today MFW at least to be regulated and implemented for the rest of active poor people in Namibia.

 

9. Amadou Sall Dial

(Senegal)

 

Focused objective:

 

To find capital resources and long-term funds for MFIs, to enable them finance the working capital, the investment and the donated capital for the SME.

 

Why a wholesale institution?

 

-                     The MFIs are not adequately capitalized and therefore have limited financial capacity

-                     MFIs savings are constituted  at 87% for cash deposit, which is inadequate to finance SME’s sustainably

-                     Lack of business relations between commercial banks and MFIs

-                     Difficulties for the SMEs to access Bank credit.

 

Operational objectives/1year

 

-                     To obtain agreement from the central bank, Government and Donators

-                     Enter into an agreement with the government for managing the microfinance refinancing fund

-                     To install a rating agency and a training center

 

 

Flow of fund

 

         

10. Khalid Mahmoud Ahmed

(Sudan)

 

Introduction:

The institution is planned to be located in River Nile state within Edamar province, comprise 4 locality, each locality is divided into village clusters, which will be known as village council (VC) , there will be 51 VCs, it is estimated that the project area approximately will cover 21000 square kilometers , with total population of 55.000  agriculture is the main activity for the people this is beside livestock husbandry

 

Duration:

Six months to construct the project

 

Methodology:

Construction of a wholesale micro finance institution in the area to serve 51 village council (village development committee) as partner organization which expected to serve micro enterprises, VDCs which not yet fulfilled criteria of sustainability will need capacity building and technical assistance, tell the wholesaler has a trust that the debtor has ability to repay, the wholesaler will be manage as a financial institute. 

 

The project philosophy and objective:

-         Ground roots development, which depend on beneficiaries share through all project steps, planning, achievement, monitoring and evaluation.

-         Improvement of women participation in development.

-         Stress on productive activities and income generating to eradicate poverty and create job opportunity.

-         Sustainability of the project through building grass root institutions for the beneficiaries, and encourage revolving money system (Sandoq)

 

Sources of fund:

Social support from ministry of social affair, loans from ministry of finance, donors agencies, investor, and commercial banks, the financial start will be 50 million Sudanese diners (200000 $)

    

Rating:

The wholesaler will apply interest rate according to the market interest to fund the VDCs

 

Management:

For good performance there should be:

-         Planning: the wholesaler should determine which VDC will be funded (SWOT analysis) and determine VDCs business activities 

-         Organizing: the wholesaler will be managed through board of holder, director, operational staff, customer service, loan administration staff, account staff and loan committee (decision maker)

-         Controlling: in the wholesaler should be a good monitoring system for loans and be able to control loan risk.

 

Advocacy:

The wholesaler will benefit from the existed laws that support micro finance, but the government should not only let the real sector of micro finance play their role in sustainable manner, but also should apply more local laws to support these sectors . 

 

 

11. Emmanuel Maduhu Subbi

(Tanzania)

 

Contents

-         Macro Policy

-         Banking System

-         Micro Institution (Including Wholesaler)

-         Saving Mobilization And Loan Management

 

1.      Presentation and discussion with TASAF management team , then formulation of action plan to  issue  related to TASAF operations, eg. saving mobilization and participatory wealth ranking technique.

 

2.      Based to the outcome of discussion, the next step is to make form and inform communication  with ministry of  finance, central bank of Tanzania , ministry of cooperative and marketing , vice presents office presents office, about

-         Policy  and regulatory environment for MFI

-         Action  related issues like institutional capacity  development of MFI

 

12. Santiel Yona

(Tanzania)

 

Background:

Micro credit is now widely recognized as an effective instrument of poverty alleviation governments and donor agencies have implemented micro credit programs either directly or indirectly through banks or other windows for a long time in different countries. The government controlled or subsidized micro credit programs have failed brings about desired result. Numerous NGOs and MFIs are coming up to extend microfinance services to the poor including the poorest of the poor, but most of them lack institutional capacity as well as funding supports to start up and scale up operations.

 

Objectives:

Enhance the poor people access to microfinance services by way of credit and savings, as well as enhancing the capacity of existing MFIs to render better services.

 

How to achieve:

1.            The project should be structured and managed as professional organizational with the sole purpose of developing microfinance in Tanzania

2.            It should be political independent

3.            It should offer market price services to MFIs i.e the services should include credit and institutional capacity building

4.            Should establish clear selection criteria for fund seeking MFIS such as target group, portfolio quality, depth of outreach, management quality.

 

Stakeholders to be consulted:

-               The Government of Tanzania – Vice President Office – Poverty Reduction Department

-               Ministry of Finance

-               Central Bank

-               African Development Bank

-               Microfinance Institutions in Tanzania

-               Commercial Banks

 

Implementation:

-               Establish business plan for a transformed institution (it can be a limited company)

-               Time frame: 2 years

 

13. Mr. Soufiane Gaaloul

(Tunisia)

 

Tunisia has emerged in recent years as a significant regional player in the development of micro finance with an estimated  63.736 active borrowers as of end of 2003.

This figure placed Tunisia third in number of active borrowers in the MENA.

 

General Environment of Micro Finance in Tunisia:

-         Tunisian Banque of Solidarity was launched 6 years ago as a deposit bank primarily to provide low-interest “micro credit” for loans averaging $ 5.000 to individual business people ,artisans, agricultural workers and commercial entrepreneurs.

-         The recent bank created in Tunisia is BFSMEs, because small and medium enterprises represent a primary issue in Tunisia (represent over 90% of Eses).

-         A single registered representative office of foreign NGO, ENDA Inter–Arab, makes up the remainder of the currently active micro finance sector in Tunisia.

 

Short term Plan & Objectives:

-         Target the poorest of the poor

-         Mobilize savings

-         Charge interest rates that cover operational costs

-         Market research

-         Streamline and decentralize operations

-         Utilize Volunteer staff

-         Target women

-         Develop monitoring and Assessment Tools

-         Utilize pre-existing support organizations.

 

Operationable:

-         Establish Realistic Expectations

-         Conduct Research

-         Adopt policies Supporting Microfinance  Infrastructure

-         Create a supportive legal environment

-         Develop standards and assessment tools

-         Invest in training

-         Promote networking and cooperation.

  

14. Augustine Mwanje

(Uganda)

 

Short Term Plan:

To effectively supervise the Microfinance Deposit Taking Institutions in Uganda using the risk based approach, there is need to put in place risk management guidelines to help the supervised Micro finance deposit taking Institutions

 

15. Ivor Muluba

(Zambia)

 

Zambia like many African has just introduced Micro-financing institutions.  Because it is new thing very few people understand the concepts. With the few weeks I have spent here Indonesia I have learned some things, which our micro-finance institutions are not doing, maybe that is why it is not developed.     

First the major problem is our culture, which needs to change. At the moment the culture prevailing is anything to do with government is free. What I have learned is MFI needs to make a profit to survive. These things of having subsidies won’t help.  MFI should not forget it social responsibility of helping the poor but also make profit.   The other problem is that in my country MFI do not allow people to make a deposit. Probably if people were allowed to have savings in their MFI it could have been easy for them to pay   their loans and interest when time to pay has come. But what is happening is since they keep the money in the house as problems come they sought out with view of replacing the money, time to pay for loans and the interest comes people have completely nothing to honor their obligation with. Another problem is that people should develop the feeling that the success of MFI will mean a better leaving standard for community and if people do not pay back their loans then the others won't have access to loans. Like the people in Indonesia the people must be encouraged to trust each other and to leave in solidarity.     

For MFI to work well the government needs to some things in place. These are:                               

1.      The government needs to encourage or establish wholesalers. The wholesaler will help the small and up coming MFI to access the money easily. Since the wholesalers will be specialized institution   it will concentrate on its core business compared to banks that do a lot of things. The wholesaler must also operate at profit making organization for their survival. The wholesalers will be responsible to lend money to Micro-finance enterprises.

2.      The government needs to build in fracture in rural area. In Zambia we have roads and communication (phones) in urban areas... The micro-financing enterprises find it difficult because it is practically impossible to give loans and to build the infrastructure .If the government can help in building the infrastructure the MFI will concentrate on its core business. The Zambia government needs  to show commitment by putting these things for the MFI to reaches the rural area and give the people loans hence increasing there capital base, asset and the number of their client. Since most of MFI give small loans perhaps a large number of clients will help. The population in Zambia is small and some poorest people leave in rural areas.

3.      The government despite its wish to help the poor must not get involved. It should just make sure that the donors who want to put money in MFI channel their money through properly especially through wholesaler.    

4.      The government must put measures that people who are not honest especially those working for MFI, if anyone is found guilt of fraud in either parties, from the MFI and the poor people he must be dealt with.