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Nov 2020
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Archives:
Embedded Inclusive Fintech
November, 30 2020
Global - The platform and “as a service” startups that are leading the next phase of fintech have to ensure their financial services offerings are embedded but also responsible ...
G. Bowes and I. Rivera, Albright Capital: Emerging Markets Restructurings Provide a “Triple Play” Opportunity for Investors
November, 30 2020
Global - The absence of impact investors and development finance institutions from the restructuring space can have profoundly negative implications since it relegates corporate restructurings to investors unconstrained by the social implications of their actions ...
Bboxx Secures Loan with FEI OGEF to Accelerate Energy Access in the Democratic Republic of Congo
November, 30 2020
DRC - Bboxx, a next generation utility, has secured a $4 million loan from the Facility for Energy Inclusion Off-Grid Energy Access Fund (FEI OGEF), a debt fund managed by Lion’s Head Global Partners (LHGP) ...
AfDB Invests $5m in SPARK+ Africa Fund to Deliver Clean Cooking Solutions
November, 30 2020
Sub-Saharan Africa - SPARK+ Africa is a pioneering impact investment fund launched by Enabling Qapital and the Clean Cooking Alliance to channel debt and equity financing to enterprises that manufacture, distribute and finance clean cooking solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa ...
How Impact Investing in Asia Is Bringing Non-profits, Governments and Startups Together
November, 30 2020
Asia - With Asian economies displaying far more vibrancy than their western counterparts, impact investors should retain a significant appetite for opportunities in the region ...
Bangladesh: IFC Provides $25m to Bank Asia for Propping up SMEs Amid Pandemic
November, 29 2020
Bangladesh - International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, is set to provide $25 million to Bank Asia to extend critical working capital to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and corporate clients to continue their operations ...
Afghanistan: Hawala Traders Are Being Squeezed by Regulators and Covid-19
November, 28 2020
Afghanistan - Hawala is the core of Afghanistan’s financial system. One in six adult Afghans has a bank account; there are just two branches for every 100,000. Most remittances—which some estimates reckon amount to 15-18% of the country’s gdp each year—flow through it ...
Poverty Reduction Missing from New UK Aid Strategy
November, 26 2020
UK - Development advocates have expressed concern over the apparent absence of poverty reduction as a focus of the United Kingdom’s new aid strategy ...
EBRD Approves 10 Mln Euro Loan to Bosnia's Intesa Sanpaolo Banka
November, 26 2020
Bosnia and Herzegovina - "The project will support investments in SMEs to upgrade production facilities and comply with EU Directives in the field of environmental protection, workers' and product safety and product quality," the EBRD said in a statement on Wednesday ...
ADB, Indorama Ventures Sign $100 Million Blue Loan to Boost Recycling
November, 25 2020
Southeast Asia - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) signed a $100 million financing package to reduce the environmental impact of plastic and promote a circular economy by boosting the capacity of IVL’s plastic recycling plants in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand ...
Bank-Genie Partners with Cufa to Roll-Out Digital Banking for Myanmar Credit Unions
November, 24 2020
Myanmar - The programme will enable credit unions to facilitate loan origination, approvals, disbursements, and deposits digitally ...
Fairtrade International Secures £15m Covid-19 Relief Funding for Producers
November, 23 2020
Global - As Covid-19 continues to have severe effects on farmers and their co-ops, Fairtrade International says it has secured more than €15m for its Producer Relief and Resilience Funds ...
Egypt: IFC and EBA to Finance Solar Photovoltaic Irrigation
November, 23 2020
Egypt - A partnership has just been established between the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Agricultural Bank of Egypt (ABE). The collaboration aims to finance solar-powered irrigation systems in Egypt ...
Cambodia's Finance Sector Lends Hand to Nation's Needy
November, 23 2020
Cambodia - According to a recent Association survey, more than half of Cambodia's banking and finance institutions have embedded social impact in their core mission statements, with several committing a fixed percentage of revenue to support social causes related to the environment, education, healthcare and financial inclusion ...
ABAC Indonesia, Mandiri Capital Join Forces to Invest in Start-Ups with Social Impacts
November, 20 2020
Indonesia - APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Indonesia, the private-sector arm of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, has partnered with venture capital firm Mandiri Capital to establish a fund that will focus on investments in start-ups with a social impact ...
Developing Countries Face Severe Under-Investment for Clean Energy Finance
November, 19 2020
Global - The amount of finance available for developing countries to adopt clean cooking technologies and renewable energy is severely lacking, a report has found ...
Opinion: How Can DFIs Do More to Help MSMEs Survive COVID-19?
November, 18 2020
Global - The depth and the duration of the crisis require building real and proactive collaboration within the existing DFI system and a much stronger capacity to manage risk for greater scale and impact ...
EBRD Loans €10 Million to Romanian Agri-Tech Distributor
November, 18 2020
Romania - The new loan will provide additional working capital as Agricover SA prepares to bolster its growth strategy to address the needs of small and medium farms facing challenging economic conditions. ...
Moody’s: Sustainable Bond Issuance Hits Record High in Q3
November, 17 2020
Global - Moody’s increased its green bond forecast to $250 billion for the full year. The bond rating company forecasts total sustainable bond issuance could now approach $425 billion in 2020 ...
ESG Falls down the Investment Agenda
November, 17 2020
Global - Environmental, social and governance issues have fallen down the agenda of big investors this year as they grapple with the repercussion of the pandemic and subsequent economic downturn ...
Mastercard, Juvo Team up to Help Underbanked Build Credit in Latam, Caribbean
November, 17 2020
Latin America - Mastercard is teaming up with FinTech startup Juvo to help the “underbanked” in Latin America and the Caribbean to build credit histories so they can engage in a wider range of financial services ...
First Green Bond Issued on Kazakh Exchange
November, 17 2020
Kazakhstan - The Asian Development Bank has added Kazakhstan to the list of nations where it is issuing bonds denominated in local currencies as an alternative for investors to having to use international lenders ...
MENA: SANAD Invests $5 Million in Badia Impact Fund Squared
November, 17 2020
MENA - With an investment of $5 million, the SANAD ESF II contributed to the $36 million first close of the Badia Impact Fund Squared, which targets early-stage, innovative small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in need of equity funding to scale up operations ...
J. Knauer, General Partner at JumpScale: Reversal of Fortune - Five Ways Biden’s Win Will Boost Impact Investing in Emerging Markets
November, 17 2020
Global - Our economic and ecological systems are so interlinked that our very future depends on a thriving, just and green global economy. Impact investors deploying capital to those ends will experience less risk, greater impact and increased financial returns in this new administration ...
Bamboo Capital Handed $40m Fund Management Role Targeting Madagascar Electricity Access
November, 16 2020
Madagascar - Impact investor Bamboo Capital Partners has been tapped up to manage a $40m renewable energy access fund by the Government of Madagascar and the World Bank ...
Survey Finds Surge in Private Investment Needed for SDG Achievement
November, 16 2020
Global - A survey of the world’s top 300 investment firms finds that investment is not going where it is needed to achieve the SDGs: only 20% of firms are aware of the SDGs and only 13% of their USD50 trillion of investment is linked to the SDGs ...
CGAP, Symbiotics Partner to Monitor COVID-19’s Impact on Microfinance
November, 16 2020
Global - CGAP and Symbiotics today launched a partnership to track and analyze the performance of hundreds of microfinance institutions (MFIs) across the world over the next six months, in an ongoing effort to shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the microfinance sector ...
IFC Lends Support to Unicredit Leasing to Enhance SME and Climate Financing in Romania
November, 13 2020
Romania - IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is lending its support to UniCredit Leasing Corporation (UCLC), Romania's top leasing company, to increase access to finance for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and to provide more climate finance to its clients across the country. ...
FDI Returning to Africa as New COVID-19 Cases Remain Low
November, 12 2020
Africa - Africa is in a good position to attract foreign investment as the impact of COVID-19 on the continent has been relatively less, according to investment experts as reported by News Ghana ...
A. Maffioli: 5 Ways Impact Management Can Jump-Start Latin America and the Caribbean's Recovery
November, 12 2020
Global - “Build back better” or “build forward better” — no matter how you phrase it, turning mounting investor interest in sustainable and impact investing into action is a must for any COVID-19 recovery scenario. Impact management is another key to making sure this push to action is done both effectively and with integrity ...
Banks around World in Joint Pledge on 'Green Recovery' after COVID
November, 11 2020
Global - Climate finance goals declared but campaigners highlight omissions over fossil fuels and poor nations’ support ...
Credify Partners with Finscore to Empower the Unbanked and Underbanked in the Philippine and Vietnamese Markets
November, 10 2020
Southeast Asia - Two up and coming names in the FinTech industry have partnered to make inclusive credit scoring and data driven insights available even for the unbanked populations of Vietnam and The Philippines. ...
Banco W Issuing $40m “Social Bond,” Funded by IDB Invest to Promote Gender Equity in Colombia via Microfinance
November, 09 2020
Colombia - The funds are slated to reach 25,000 female-led microenterprises and support the “development of the capital markets and thematic bonds in Colombia ...
Tunisia: Enda Tamweel Successfully Raises 30 Million Dinars on Bond Mark
November, 09 2020
Tunisia - The loan has attracted the interest of Tunisian and foreign investors. Indeed, the African Local Currency Bond Fund was among the subscribers to this issue and marks its entry into the Tunisian market ...
Schroders Launches Impact Fund to Aid Covid-Hit Emerging Markets
November, 09 2020
Global - The Covid-19 support fund, which has secured $140m of funding towards its $350m target, will support micro-entrepreneurs and small companies in the developing world with the aim of reducing poverty and inequality ...
Central Bank of Costa Rica Certifies the Country’s First Cash-Free Microfinance Company
November, 06 2020
Costa Rica - Costa Rica has today for the first time a 100% cash-free microfinance institution, certified with Program L of the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR) ...
European Dev Banks to End Fossil Fuel Financing
November, 06 2020
Global - The Association of European Development Finance Institutions (EDFI) this week committed to immediately stopping new coal and fuel oil financing ...
Swiss Set up Green Fintech Body
November, 05 2020
Switzerland - The Swiss government is boosting fintechs focus on sustainable finance. The move is part of a wider bid to make Switzerland a hub for impact investments ...
As Ukraine Ditches Cash, Digital Financial Services Get an Upgrade
November, 05 2020
Ukraine - The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, this week announced that it will be working with the National Bank of Ukraine to develop a national financial inclusion strategy aimed at improving access to digital financial services, creating jobs and boosting the country’s economic growth ...
Sub-Saharan Africa: Solar Power Could Provide Energy for the World’s Most Vulnerable. Here Are 5 Ways to Pay for It
November, 05 2020
SSA - With coordination, concerted efforts from all stakeholders, and the right financing mechanisms, displaced people could move from a world where energy insecurity and poverty are the norm to one where they can start to rebuild their lives ...
Will Covid-19 Spur Green Bond Issuances in Emerging Markets?
November, 04 2020
Global - As many countries turn to debt to help fund their recoveries from the coronavirus pandemic, an increasing number of governments and companies are looking at sustainability-focused financial instruments to fund major projects ...
IFC Provides $100 Million for Santander to Support Small and Medium Enterprises and Finance Renewable Energy in Brazil
November, 04 2020
Brazil - IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is providing a $100 million loan (equivalent to BRL560 million) to Santander Brasil to boost access to credit for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) ...
India: Microfinance Industry May Require External Capital of Rs 8,500-10,000 Crore - Icra
November, 04 2020
India - The country's microfinance sector would require an external capital of Rs 8,500-10,000 crore for growing at a rate of 15-20 per cent per annum over the next three years and to absorb high level of credit costs, says a report ...
Uganda to Benefit from €40m Facility Launched to Support African Farmers
November, 03 2020
Sub-Saharan Africa - The Agri-Finance Liquidity Facility (“ALF”) is a debt facility investing in sustainable agri-enterprises in mainly Africa and Latin-America, funded by KfW/BMZ and managed by Incofin IM as the Alternative Investment Fund Manager ...
Private Asset Impact Fund Ecosystem Worth Over $30 Billion
November, 03 2020
Global - The Private Asset Impact Fund (PAIF) survey filters out the impact investing universe by focusing solely on strategies investing through funds and vehicles, targeting emerging and frontier markets, and with a development finance impact bias ...
India: I. Kumar, Senior Vice President at Satin Creditcare: Microfinance Sector - Charting a Way Forward Amid COVID-19
November, 03 2020
India - The resilience of the bottom of the pyramid has been phenomenal in this country, so is the case with the MFI sector. Every crisis has contributed to the overall improvement in the ecosystem. Now after COVID, MFIs are exploring the possibilities to increase their cashless collection through digital mode ...
China: Green, Blue, Socially-Sustainable Bonds on the Rise
November, 03 2020
China - Chinese financial institutions are putting greater emphasis on the issuance of socially and environmentally sustainable bonds as global investors seek opportunities for a green economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic ...
Nigeria Mobile Money Revolution Delayed by Scarcity of Licences
November, 03 2020
Nigeria - Despite the lack of progress on licences, some steps towards financial inclusion have been taken by digitally savvy Nigerian banks, with mobile-to-mobile and SMS-based transfers now commonplace ...
Using Six Conceptualizations of Capital to Help Achieve the SDGs
November, 02 2020
Global - By abandoning a narrow understanding of capital as just assets that appear on a balance sheet, businesses and other organizations can harness the value of their people, relationships, knowledge, and processes to move the world closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals ...
Cameroon Plans to Boost Financial Service Offers by Increasing the Number of Banks and Microfinance Institutions by 2030
November, 02 2020
Cameroon - In that regard, the government will help them develop their activities in all of the 10 regions, ensure their financial stability (boost their agency networks) and strengthen their supervision ...
Zambia: Insights on the Enormous Impact Seasons Have in Agricultural Economies
November, 02 2020
Zambia - The upshot is that governments and NGOs can increase their impact by incorporating seasonality into their interventions. Making better use of resources is particularly critical in light of budget cuts and economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic ...

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