Commercialization continues apace

Talk of commercialization, once the reserve of analysis of Latin American microfinance, has captured the global microfinance news headlines over the last few years. Greenfield microfinance banks have opened their doors and grown in waves, whether as affiliates of networks like ProCredit or as independent ventures like those registering under the Pakistani microfinance bank law. Alongside these regulated MFI start-ups, many NGOs have transformed, shedding their non profit status to pursue operations as regulated financial service providers. After the numerous examples of institutional transformation in Latin America in the late 1990s and early into this decade, these last three years have seen the ranks of transformed institutions expand in Africa and Asia. The set of 200 Trend Lines MFIs from around the globe offers a unique glimpse into read more…