This is GREAT!! We hope this will save microfinance operations, and help move towards accomplishing origional mission!!

Most critical for me is RESPONSIBLE Pricing. Yes, multiple factors play arround — the efficiency of the provider, decisions about profitability, cost of business (!!), size of loans…Perhaps COST OF BUSINESS is very difficult and controvercial, b/c it should include:- infrastructure (roads, communication, etc), client credit history (risk profile, etc). Also DECISION ABOUT PROFITABILITY, b/c this include not only the profit that goes to shareholders, but also that which is re-invested to opeartion to exoand outreach and reach out for ‘future clients’.

Another critical and often ignored aspect is that, whereas most observers, donors, etc ask ‘how much’ MFIs are charging their clients, they often do NOT ask what percentage of the generated profit is invested in supporting the clients (e.g on financial education, group dynamics, etc), how frequently are MFI staff visiting, or communicating with poor clients, etc.

The Spain Microcredit Summit discussed on the ‘SEAL of Excelence’ etc, but such critical issues have never been discussed at length. Much less on GENDER + MICROFINANCE. High profile organizations like UN-Women still have to entertain this issues further, as demonstrated in recent ‘Expert Group Meeting on ECONOMIC EMPWERMENT OF WOMEN…. in Ghana (Sep 19-23, 2011) details are on following link:

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/csw56/egm.htm

Keep up your good work.

Kind Regards

Getaneh Gobezie
(E-Mil:- getanehg2002@yahoo.com)

Linking up the “client protection” efforts with the “client advancement” agendas led by the Social Performance Task Force and the Seal of Excellence initiative (housed at the Microcredit Summit Campaign) is one of the logical next steps and I am glad that we are moving in that direction. –Alex Counts, Grameen Foundation