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Currently there is limited application of Islamic microfinance instruments in Brunei Darussalam in the business and banking industries. The main objective of the exploratory study on the potentiality of Islamic microfinancing in the handicraft industry is to encourage students pursuing the Master in Islamic Banking and Finance (MIBF) program to apply the Islamic finance to real life situations. This exploratory applied research has allowed students the opportunity to appreciate the potentialities of Islamic microfinance in assisting the development of microbusinesses especially in the rural areas in Brunei Darussalam.
The purpose of the 'Microfinance Handbook' is to bring together in a single source guiding principles and tools that will promote sustainable microfinance and create viable institutions.
Transformations in the microfinance industry have been widespread practice globally since the late 1990s. Currently, transformed MFIs transact the bulk of all microfinance operations, measured by number of clients as well as portfolio size. However, the few transformations that have taken place in the Arab World have mostly involved transforming international microcredit programs into registered institutions, with many of them remaining unregulated. The reasons for this are mostly related to the broader enabling environment and to legal frameworks and regulations that include an increase in taxes owed under the new legal status. In addition, concerns of mission drift, long central to discussions of transformation, have led to skepticism of the process altogether. Lastly, MFI employees may have concerns about the transformation process, ranging from their personal beliefs to uncertainty about their future under a new for-profit company. In recent years, however, regulations in some Arab countries have changed, and other barriers to transformation, such as concerns about mission drift and doubts among staff, have been handled with greater delicacy and success. Accordingly, the time has come to take a closer look at what this process might entail. This paper presents the Arab context, and discusses the benefits, costs, challenges, and opportunities associated with transforming a not-for-profit into a for-profit entity - not necessarily a bank. While what has worked elsewhere may not necessarily be applicable in the Arab World, the body of evidence is quite clear that institutional growth is sustained by a variety of funding channels, and that the opportunity to grow and better serve the underserved has encouraged many MFIs in the Arab World to reconsider transformation. This study also presents the results of a survey conducted jointly by IFC and Sanabel to better understand where MFIs in the Arab World currently stand in the transformation process. The survey was sent by email to a select group of MFIs that are either the leading MFIs in their countries or have already expressed interest in transformation. It was composed of two sections. The first collected background information, particularly about their current legal structure and plans to transform. The second was addressed to MFIs that have already transformed or are considering transformation, to understand how they view the benefits and challenges. As a part of this undertaking, the survey also asked questions about the MFIs' interest in allowing staff to participate in the transformed entity's equity by setting up an employee stock option plan (ESOP). This is a form of staff compensation in which select staff are awarded shares in the share-capital company that employs them. A few MFIs in other regions have implemented ESOPs during transformation to address staff concerns, reward demanding work, and align individuals' goals with those of the institution. The survey sought to measure interest in ESOPs among respondents, as well as ask how they view the benefits, challenges, and appropriate terms of ESOPs. For MFIs wishing to explore this concept more deeply, Annex I of this paper addresses ways to implement ESOPs, and presents examples of MFIs that have elected to offer them.
The importance of financial inclusion is increasingly recognized by policymakers around the world. Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) financial inclusion, in particular, is at the core of the economic diversification and growth challenges many countries are facing. In the Middle East and Central Asia (MENAP and CCA) regions, SMEs represent an important share of firms, but the regions lag most others in terms of SME access to financing.
New Issues in Islamic Finance & Economics: Progress and Challenges provides a review of the main issues and challenges facing Islamic finance. The application of Islamic finance is currently limited to banking. This book starts with an overview of the factors and motives behind the development of Islamic finance. A critical review of issues facing the industry is provided followed by a detailed analysis of areas where further attention is required. The book offers some original thinking on issues pertaining to governance, institutions, public finance and economic development within an Islamic financial system.
This study evaluates the effectiveness of IFC's strategic priority of private sector development in frontier countries (high-risk and/or low-income) by supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) during fiscal years (FY)1994-2006. IFC has channeled its support to MSME's by: i) indirect financing through financial intermediaries, and ii) by indirect institution-building support via specialized regional small and medium enterprise (SME) development facilities. This evaluation analyzes IFC's development results and provides recommendations on how IFC's performance can be improved in this area going forward.
Since its emergence in the 1970s, microfinance has risen to become one of the most high-profile policies to address poverty in developing and transition countries. It is beloved of rock stars, movie stars, royalty, high-profile politicians and ‘troubleshooting’ economists. In this provocative and controversial analysis, Milford Bateman reveals that microfinance doesn’t actually work. In fact, the case for it has been largely built on hype, on egregious half-truths and – latterly – on the Wall Street-style greed of those promoting and working in microfinance. Using a multitude of case studies, from India to Cambodia, Bolivia to Uganda, Serbia to Mexico, Bateman demonstrates that microfi nance actually constitutes a major barrier to sustainable economic and social development, and thus also to sustainable poverty reduction. As developing and transition countries attempt to repair the devastation wrought by the global financial crisis, Why Doesn’t Microfinance Work? argues forcefully that the role of microfinance in development policy urgently needs to be reconsidered.