Microfinance resulting in multiple lending

A joint fact-finding study on microfinance conducted recently by Reserve Bank with a few major banks, highlight following observations:

(i) Some of the microfinance institutions (MFIs) financed by banks or acting as their intermediaries/partners appear to be focussing on relatively better banked areas, including areas covered by the SHG-Bank linkage programme. Competing MFIs were operating in the same area, and trying to reach out to the same set of poor, resulting in multiple lending and overburdening of rural households.

(ii) Many MFIs supported by banks were not engaging themselves in capacity building and empowerment of the groups to the desired extent. The MFIs were disbursing loans to the newly formed groups within 10-15 days of their formation, in contrast to the practice obtaining in the SHG - Bank linkage programme which takes about 6-7 months for group formation / nurturing / handholding. As a result, cohesiveness and a sense of purpose were not being built up in the groups formed by these MFIs.

(iii) Banks, as principal financiers of MFIs, do not appear to be engaging them with regard to their systems, practices and lending policies with a view to ensuring better transparency and adherence to best practices. In many cases, no review of MFI operations was undertaken after sanctioning the credit facility.

Microfinance is in news for various reasons. The United Nations, had designated 2005 as the International year of Microcredit. The Nobel Peace Price for 2006 was awarded to the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and its founder Muhammad Yunus, a pioneer of the microcredit movement.

Enactment of a New Law on Micro Financial Sector... Click here

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