Accra (Greater Accra)
06 November 2002- A three-day meeting to discuss the role of Micro-finance
Associations (MFAs) in developing the micro-finance industry and a better
provision of financial services for the poor and rural population in Africa
opened in Accra on Tuesday.
The three-day international
workshop would provide an international forum for sharing experiences and
information on issues relating to micro- finance networks and to ultimately
define success factors for the future of the industry.
About 100 participants
from Africa including micro-finance experts and representatives of the major
international development partners are attending.
It was organised by
the GTZ German Agency of Technical Co-operation together with the Swedish
International Development Agency (SIDA), the Dutch NGO HIVOS and the African
Development Bank and supported by the International multi and bilateral
development partners and professional organisations involved in assisting small
and medium-sized enterprise networks.
A statement by the
German Embassy said Ghana was selected to host the first ever workshop because
of her efforts to enhance the rural financial sector, including non-formal and
pro-poor structures and their intermediate representative associations' bodies.
These, the statement
said, were considered an indispensable element of the national financial
system, and it was their growing significance that prompted GTZ Ghana to
organise the workshop.
It said Micro-finance
Institutions (MFIs) were seen as one of the most efficient instruments to
promote economic development and to fight poverty in poorer countries.
"Numerous MFIs in all regions have proven that financial services could be
offered on a sustainable basis with high outreach.
With the increasing
importance of MFIs for the overall development of financial sectors in
developing countries, policy makers and decisions takers involved in
micro-finance have started to initiate projects and programmes that support the
micro-finance industry as a whole," it added.
The statement said the
Women's World Banking and the South African Enterprise Association would give
presentations to stimulate discussion on current best practices in product
development, services and internal organisation and management.
GRi…/
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