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on Microfinance |
| By: | Sara Biancini (CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR1 - Université de Rennes 1 - UNIV-RENNES - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, THEMA - Théorie économique, modélisation et applications - UCP - Université de Cergy Pontoise - Université Paris-Seine - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique); David Ettinger (CEREMADE - CEntre de REcherches en MAthématiques de la DEcision - Université Paris-Dauphine - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - Université Paris-Dauphine); Baptiste Venet (LEDa - Laboratoire d'Economie de Dauphine - Université Paris-Dauphine) |
| Abstract: | We analyze the relationship between Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and external donors, withthe aim of contributing to the debate on "mission drift" in microfinance. We assume that boththe donor and the MFI are pro-poor, possibly at different extents. Borrowers can be (very) pooror wealthier (but still unbanked). Incentives have to be provided to the MFI to exert costly effortto identify the more valuable projects and to choose the right share of poorer borrowers (theoptimal level of poor outreach). We first concentrate on hidden action. We show thatasymmetric information can distort the share of very poor borrowers reached by loans, thusincreasing mission drift. We then concentrate on hidden types, assuming that MFIs arecharacterized by unobservable heterogeneity on the cost of effort. In this case, asymmetricinformation does not necessarily increase the mission drift. The incentive compatible contractspush efficient MFIs to serve a higher share of poorer borrowers, while less efficient onesdecrease their poor outreach. |
| Keywords: | microfinance,donors,poverty,screening |
| Date: | 2019–09–23 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-02294739&r=all |
| By: | Lucia, Dalla Pellegrina; Giorgio, Di Maio; Paolo, Landoni; Beatrice, Rama |
| Abstract: | This study is based on a randomized control trial (RCT) aimed at understanding the effectiveness of a financial literacy pilot program conducted in 2014-2016 at the Institute for Indian Mother and Child, a non-profit microfinance institution based near Kolkata. Significant impacts are revealed in terms of improvements in saving accumulation and punctuality in the repayment of the loan instalments for borrowers belonging to the treated group, compared to the group of borrowers who did not participated to the program. In particular, positive contribution emerges from the evolution of both the cognitive skills and the level of financial knowledge developed by the beneficiaries during the training program. Estimates provide evidence that enhancing cognitive abilities turn out to be strongly beneficial in fostering the accumulation savings, whereas financial principles also had an (although weaker) impact on stimulating a more timely reimbursement of the instalments. We conclude that the financial literacy pilot program has significantly activated women cognitive abilities, giving them the opportunity to apply them both in the course and in their businesses. |
| Keywords: | Microfinance; financial literacy; randomized control trial, repayment performance; savings. |
| JEL: | I21 I24 I28 J13 J24 |
| Date: | 2019–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mib:wpaper:412&r=all |
| By: | Lucia, Dalla Pellegrina; Angela, De Michele; Giorgio, Di Maio; Paolo, Landoni |
| Abstract: | We study the effects of a pilot project that strengthened the saving incentive mechanisms set up by the Small Enterprise Foundation (SEF), a leading microfinance institution based in South Africa. The program aimed at introducing a stimulus to save in the form of the possession of “Goal Card” whereby clients owning this tool were asked to identify a saving goal and to commit to a regular saving amount. The experiment had quasinatural approach, as it has been implemented by SEF in selected locations starting from May 2015. Difference in differences estimates show an improvement in the savings performance of the SEF customers treated with the program, compared to the counterfactual. Besides the evaluation of the program’s main effects, we investigate the clients’ understanding of the pilot and their attitude towards saving, as well as the quality of the pilot’s administration and its operational challenges, through the administration and analysis of surveys conducted on both the treated and control groups of clients. |
| Keywords: | Microfinance; quasi-natural experiment; savings. |
| JEL: | G21 I25 L31 O15 |
| Date: | 2019–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:mib:wpaper:411&r=all |
| By: | AMANKWAH, ERNEST; Gockel, Fritz Augustine; Osei-Assibey, Eric |
| Abstract: | This study investigates characteristics of Rotating savings and credit associations (ROSCAs) participants who join the association due to its Pareto superior allocation in Ghana. Some scholars like Dejene and Van den Brink have hypothesized that people join ROSCAs because of its Pareto superior allocation. The study employed primary data analysis in achieving its main objective. Out of the 400 ROSCA participants sampled for the study from Asunafo North Municipality of Ghana, 71.75% joined the association because of its Pareto superior allocation. A Probit model was used to predict the probability of joining the association due to its superior allocation. The dependent variable took the value of one when respondents join the association due to its superior allocation and zero if otherwise. Married participants, participants with no or low level of education, participants who are unemployed and participants who save more of their income are more likely to join ROSCA due to its Pareto superior allocation. It was recommended that that ROSCA participants who have access (participants living in urban sectors) to formal financial institutions, participants who have accounts at formal financial institutions, participants who are rich and aged participants should be educated on how ROSCA constitutes its Pareto superior allocation |
| Keywords: | Pareto Superiority, Rotating Savings and Credit Association |
| JEL: | E26 |
| Date: | 2019–10–02 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:96308&r=all |