This paper presents new empirical evidence on how financial sector policy can help the poor. It is often thought that promotion of specialized microfinance institutions is the best or only way forward. However, a strong mainstream financial system is also pro-poor-perhaps even more so: while...

The Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP), a multi-donor consortium dedicated to advancing microfinance, is a global resource center for microfinance standards, to provide operational tools, training, and advisory services, committed to building more inclusive financial systems for the...

The Country Framework Report (CFR) for Angola is one of a series of country reviews aimed at improving the environment for private sector involvement in infrastructure. The report seeks to assist the Government of Angola in developing policies, and a framework to promote private participation in...

Children regularly receiving health visits and education, the sick receiving proper and timely health care, safe water flowing out of the tap, electricity reliably reaching homes and businesses-these apparently simple events are taken for granted in developed countries. In Latin America, despite...

This analyzes, based on more than seventy company case studies across 13 Russian regions during the spring, summer, and fall of 2000, and the summer of 2001, examines four key issues that Russian firms face in carrying out business transactions in Russia's regional markets: 1) the state of...

This book examines the effects of the changing global geography of production for the growth prospects of East Asian economies. The authors conclude that in the face of a global environment, economies in East Asia need to adapt to the changing character of global production networks and to...

The development of the small, and medium enterprise sector is believed to be crucial for economic growth, and poverty alleviation. Those who seek to develop the sector, must consent with the general perception that small- and medium-scale enterprises are at a disadvantage, compared with larger...

Although a small agency, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) has a broad mandate-to promote productive foreign direct investment (FDI) flows into developing countries. The Agency's results in fiscal 2004 were mixed. While the total amount of guarantees issued fell slightly, to...

This 2001 Annual Report for the International Finance Corporation (IFC) presents financial highlights, IFC products and services, the investment portfolio, regional reports, project evaluations, and the organization's financial statements.

This book focuses on how the demand for microfinance can be met on a global scale. It documents the contributions of institutions and of people who have led the development of commercial finance for the poor, and it analyzes the principles on which the microfinance revolution is based. In sum,...