Tag Archive for 'Microfinance'

Japan opens $100bn fund to help firms beat yen strength

Published on August 26, 2011 in International Finance. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

The Japanese government has announced a new $100bn (£61bn) fund to help companies combat the strength of the yen.

The Ministry of Finance said the fund will help firms expand their overseas operations and secure energy resources.

The move comes as the yen hovers near record levels against the US dollar.

A stronger currency hurts Japan’s export-dependent economy, and companies have warned that they may lose business to foreign rivals.

“We decided to compile the package to show our strong determination that we will act if current yen rises persist, or if the yen rises further,” Japan’s finance minister Yoshihiko Noda said [Source].

Developing World Venture Capital

Published on December 8, 2007 in Emerging Markets and International Finance. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Kiva LoansMicro-loans made to third-world entrepreneurs are changing lives and fortunes around the world. CNBC published an article on success stories on Kiva’s microfinance loans here.

The Kiva wesite was founded by Jessica and Matt Flannery. They were newly weds – he a software engineer, she an MBA student at Stanford – who were convinced they could use the Internet to put people in need together with people willing to help. Anyway, this is how Kiva works.

Kiva Loan Cycle

Ending Global Poverty | Microfinance

Published on April 3, 2007 in Emerging Markets and International Finance. 2 Comments Tags: , .


Today I watched a very inspiring speech given by Muhammad Yunus (Founder and Managing Director, Grameen Bank; 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate) at the Council on Foreign Relations on Microcredit. Anyone interested in Microfinance and economic devleopment, please check out this inspiring speech of Muhammad Yunus.

Micro Finance

 

Basically Microfinance envisioned providing financial services such as Microcredit, Microsavings, or Microinsurance to the poor people in this world, in order to empower those people to become self-sufficient. Amongst others I really like the Microcredit peer-to-peer business idea by Kiva. You and I can provided small loans to entrepreneurs in developing countries.

In 2005 The Economist already published a special survey on Microfinance. In a previous post I already wrote about Kiva.