http://www.microfinancelaopdr.org/news.cfm http://www.microfinancelaopdr.org/news.cfm?nid=32 Rural and Microfinance Statistics in Lao PDR 2006 (both English and Lao version) <p>Please download in the library section of the website.</p><p>Or persons interested in receiving the publication may contact the following: </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Microfinance Capacity Building and Research Programme</p><p>National Economic Research Institute</p><p>Km 7, Kaisonphomvihanh Avenue</p><p>Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Tel/Fax: +856 - 21 - 711180, 711181</p><p>Email: <a href="mailto:mcbr@microfinancelaopdr.org">mcbr@microfinancelaopdr.org</a></p><p>www. microfinancelaopdr.org</p> 2008-02-22 http://www.microfinancelaopdr.org/news.cfm?nid=33 <p>16&nbsp;January 2008, the workshop on MCBR Project Performance was held at the National Economic Research Institute (NERI). The objective is to review the project performance in the beginning to the end of the first phase of the project, June 2003 - December 2007.</p><p>Please download in the library section of the website.</p> 2008-02-22 http://www.microfinancelaopdr.org/news.cfm?nid=31 Please download in the library section of the website. 2007-12-11 http://www.microfinancelaopdr.org/news.cfm?nid=30 <p>Loas ranks 143rd in the human development index among 175 countries. About 73.2 percent of the countr&#39;s 5.6 million people live on less than US$2 per day - an indication that Laos is one of the poorest countries in the region. Since 1986, the Lao government has been implementing a market-oriented economic reform policy, alongside a National Growth and Poverty Eradication Strategy, to improve the quality of life of its citizens and eradicate poverty. This strategy recognises microfinance as an appropiate instrument in the reduction of basic poverty. </p><p>The microfinance industry is relatively young in Laos and is in the early stages of development. About 410 micrifinance institutions are currently operational in the country, of which the majority are small-scale community-based organisations mostly located in rural areas. These institutions serve approximately 230,000 people around the country, according to statistics from the National Economic Research Institutte in Laos. Apparently, most of the microfinance institutions target &#39;better-off poor&#39; and &#39;poor&#39; people (normally economically active clients) but a significant number of &#39;verypoor&#39; or &#39;hardcore poor&#39; do not benefit from these service providers due to the fact that they are generally unable to fulfill the requirements to benefit from microfinance and reside in hard-to-reach and remote geographical areas. These indiviuals are considered to be those in the lower 50 percent of people living below the poverty line, are vulnerabal and completely lack the ability to fulfill basic human needs. They form the largest segment of population, but the amount of assistance they receive is the lowest. </p><p>In conventional practice, the mocrifinance institution does not consider this group &#39;credit-worthy&#39;; therefore, the institutions are unable to provide any development services for them based on their needs. The implementation of the microfinance regulatory framework of the country will require microfinance institutions to pursue a market-oriented policy towards sustainability; in this presumption it is likely that r the delivery of service to the extreme poor. Various instituthe poorest clients, regarded as &#39;not-credit-worthy&#39;, will still remain excluded and unreached by micrifinance services. Extreme poverty is a relative term and generally a consequence of &#39;assetlessness&#39; coupled with a lack of confidence and skill in asset management. Social stigma and disregard also prevent the poorest from participation in social pital-building endeavours in their communities. There has been no globally accepted model for the delivery of service to the extreme poor. Various institutions are trying various options depending on variable contents and capacities for addressing the needs of this group. Some of the approaches that can be safely applied to the conditions in Laos are detailed below.</p><p>Safety net programmes are usually better suited to the circumstance and needs of the poorest. This approach is based on the assumption that many of the poorest can save, start building assets and eventually acquire the resources and nessary skills to develop the confidence to engage in sustainable livelihood activities up to the piont where they can make good use of credit or other financial services provided by the microfinance institutions. This process ultimately develops capacity in the poorest people and allows them to become fully-fledged microfinance clients. This approach can be applied to the extreme poor living in remote and very-low-density, geographically isolated areas of Laos. Local resources and expertise can be used in this intervention with minimum technical supervision.</p><p>Credit guarantee funds can be used to support microfinance institutions in providing the poorest people with financial services. The guarantee on the loan fund is intended to encourage microfinance institutions in the targeting of the poorest clients through an agreement to share the risk of defaults between the supporting agency and the microfinance institution. Usually, appropriate financial products are developed based on the needs of the poorest clients and the service is offered with flexible loan terms.</p><p>The clients demonstrating better capacities in the use and serving of the loan monies are then integrated into the mainsteam microfinance service. The poorest and the disadvantaged (such as disabled and HIV/AIDS affected people) in both rural and erban areas can be targeted through this approach under intensive technical supervision by the supporting agency. </p><p>Concessional loans are also an option that can be used to help the extreme poor living in urban, semi-urban and rural areas of country; in this approach, interest-free small loan products are provided, tailored according to the needs of the recipients. A precondition of this method is that the clients need to have regular access to markets to trade their goods and services. The loan products allow transition of the clients from concessional credit to conventional microfinance&nbsp; service depending on their ability in the use and replayment of loan monies. It is important that plnners, policy makers and practitioners consider integrating appropiate options to conventional microfinance programmes for the delivery of service to the poorest. Inclusion of the poorest in finincial services will result in a balanced approach in reaching the depth and breadth of those living in poverty. This process not only turns the poorest group into potential microfinance clients but also makes it possible for microfinance interventions to achieve wider financial and social goals. This will contribute to the government&#39;s poverty eradication programme by increasing houshold income, reducing income disperity between rural and urban populations, and by reducing vulnerability in the poorest communities. Wider welfare schemes, especially in livelihood development supported by the government and inter-government agencies, can be better integrated and complementd with local microfinance programmes.&nbsp;</p><p>MOINUL ISLAM</p> 2007-12-09 http://www.microfinancelaopdr.org/news.cfm?nid=20 Please download in the library section of the website. 2007-11-19 http://www.microfinancelaopdr.org/news.cfm?nid=24 <p>Please download in the libray of section the website.</p> 2007-11-19 http://www.microfinancelaopdr.org/news.cfm?nid=29 <p>&nbsp; Rural and Microfinance Statistics in Lao PDR 2005</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Persons interested in receiving the publication may contact the following: </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Microfinance Capacity Building and Research Programme</p><p>National Economic Research Institute</p><p>Km 7, Kaisonphomvihanh Avenue</p><p>Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Tel/Fax: +856 - 21 - 711180, 711181</p><p>Email: <a href="mailto:mcbr@microfinancelaopdr.org">mcbr@microfinancelaopdr.org</a></p><p>www. microfinancelaopdr.org</p> 2007-11-01 http://www.microfinancelaopdr.org/news.cfm?nid=27 <p>Participant Course Materials </p><p>Delinquency Measurement and Control Interest Rate Calculation and Setting. </p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Persons interested in receiving the publication may contact the following: </p><p>Microfinance Capacity Building and Research Programme </p><p>National Economic Research Institute Km 7, Kaisone Phomevihanh Avenue Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR </p><p>Tel/Fax : +856 21 711180 Email: mcbr@microfinancelaopdr.org www.microfinancelaopdr.org</p> 2007-10-26 http://www.microfinancelaopdr.org/news.cfm?nid=28 <p>The Bank of the Lao PDR plans to oversee all non-deposit taking microfinance institutions in Laos by early next year. The Goal of the Bank of the Lao PDR is seeking to establish the regulation to create the conditions for promoting small financial institutions. &nbsp;</p> 2007-10-18