New technology represents a key driver for the evolution of the microfinance sector: its use could result in doubling the number of microentrepreneurs, beneficiaries of microfinance, to 300 million worldwide.

Moreover, in Morocco the microfinance market already appears promising for providers of technology solutions attracted to the sector.

In this context, PlaNet Finance is co-organising with the Banque Populaire Group and Sogeti the 2nd international conference “Microfinance and New Technologies”, taking place on March 11th & 12th 2010 at the Royal Mirage Hotel in Marrakech, on the theme “Which models are best placed to increase access to financial services for the unbanked?”

An international ideas exchange and networking event for leading decision makers in new technologies and microfinance fields

The 2nd Microfinance and New Technologies Summit (MFNT) is a key event for decision-makers in the technology and microfinance fields.

After the inaugural event held in India in 2008, its principal objective is to reinforce the synergies between the two sectors in order to develop the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the microfinance sphere.

The theme for the 2nd MFNT Summit, “Which models are best placed to increase access to financial services for the unbanked?” will deal with the following subjects:
- Which management information systems for microfinance?
- What technological solutions are available to improve microfinance institutions’ performance?
- Mobile banking and microfinance: what is the most efficient use?
 

Around 50 international experts will speak at the conference, including representatives and consultants from microfinance institutions, IT and telecommunications companies, banking and money transfer sectors, regulatory authorities, public and private investors and international development agencies.
Sessions will be held over 2 days in order for speakers to share their experiences, present their technology-based solutions and propose ideas to develop the use of ICT in microfinance.
Around 250 decision makers from around the world are expected to attend.
Both national and international exhibitors will be showcasing their products and services.

Some of the speakers
• Global leaders
- Jacques ATTALI, President, PlaNet Finance Group, France
- Norman FRANKEL, CEO, Mi-Pay, Romania
- Hannes VAN RENSBURG, CEO, Fundamo, South Africa

• Technologies & Finance Experts
- Kamal BOUDHABHATI, CEO, Craft Silicon, Kenya
- Oscar MADEDDU, Credit Management Specialist, IFC, World Bank, United States
- Alfred MESGUICH, MIS Global Coordinator, The Aga Khan Agency for Microfinance, Switzerland
- Ernst HENNCHE, CEO, Fisa Group, Ecuador
- Elio VITUCCI, General Manager, Experian Micro Analytics, France
- …etc.

To learn more, please visit the event website: www.mfntsummit2010.com

PlaNet Finance Nepal is organizing the 8th Handicraft Trade Fair and 6th Craft Competition implemented by its local partner Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal (FHAN). The event will take place from February 18th to 22nd 2010 in Kathmandu.
 

The fair aims to promote Nepalese handicraft and entrepreneurship through products exhibition on the one hand, and business meetings with both national and international sellers on the other hand.
 

For more info, please visit: www.smelink.com.np

Nepalese entrepreneurs heading towards Europe
 

The SMElink project, implemented by PlaNet Finance in Nepal is co- funded by the European Commission. The project is entering its third and final year. For two years, more than 150 Nepalese Small and Medium Entrepreneurs have learnt about various business-
related issues in order to fulfill their dreams of exporting to Europe.
 

The Small and Medium Entrepreneurs were selected sector-wise, according to a preliminary survey about European demand for Nepalese supply. The chosen sectors were Jewellery and Metalcraft, Pashmina and sustainable tourism.
 

Since February 2008, entrepreneurs attend training courses on business planning, marketing, quality management system (QMS) and information technologies. These courses led to various concrete results like the designing of their own business plans (for 50 among them) in Year 1; in Year 2, 62 of them came up with their own marketing plan. The QMS training scheme is still going on and will empower 50 entrepreneurs to get a certification based on the ISO 9000- 2000 format. As for the Information Technologies training course, entrepreneurs are now able to use it in their everyday business (word, internet, etc.) and 25 entrepreneurs who did not have a website before, now do.

The aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, of a magnitude of 7.0, is hard to establish. According to the AFP the earthquake has claimed 70,000 lives and the US Army fears that the death toll could reach 200,000. 

PlaNet Finance would like to express its great and deep sorrow at this disaster which affects six members of its staff and their families.

While emergency relief is being organized, PlaNet Finance draws the attention of the international community to the use of microfinance as a reliable and durable tool for reconstruction and rehabilitation after the emergency period by:
• helping local microenterprises, the driving forces of the communities’ economic reflation;
• allowing the disaster victims to be actors of the reconstruction process;
• supporting local development initiatives to avoid dependence and the stigmatization of victims who have become permanent emergency aid beneficiaries.

These reconstruction projects cannot be established without financial and human assistance; we therefore call for your help. PlaNet Finance will select local microfinance institutions and will grant them the necessary funds to reconstruct themselves and develop projects that aim to help the victims to rebuild their lives with dignity, thanks to your donations.

To support PlaNet Finance in this mission, you can make a donation:
• on our website donation page: www.planetfinancegroup.org

• by a bank transfer on the following account :
Code banque 10107 / Code guichet 00283 / Code BIC BREDFRPPXXX
Numéro de compte : 00620831171 / Clé 73 /
Domiciliation BRED Neuilly sur Seine
IBAN FR76 1010 7002 8300 6208 3117 173

• by check payable to “PlaNet Finance Dons Haiti” mailed to the following address:
PlaNet Finance
Dons Haïti
13 rue Dieumegard
93400 Saint-Ouen
France

We thank you for your support and generosity.
 

The RENDEV project, aiming to explore ways that link microfinance and access to renewable energy, has successfully been completed. The goal of this project launched in January 2007 was to contribute to rural development and poverty alleviation in Bangladesh and Indonesia by combining microfinance mechanisms tailored for low income people’s needs with microenterprise development and increased access to solar energy.
 

Through its 3 years activities, the project has been defined as an institutional framework within which all stakeholders, including MFIs, provincial and national governments, renewable energy specialists and the microentrepreneurs themselves can work together to achieve grass-roots economic development in an environmentally friendly manner.

PlaNet Finance and all its partners : (European) IT Power, Transenergie, (Bangladesh) Grameen Shakti, PSL and Rahimafrooz and (Indonesian) Ybul, Bina Swadaya and OPI, have organized a of workshops enabling all stakeholders to develop new policies. 5,000 households have benefited from 80 sessions in each country and taught by the local partners to use their solar system properly. The project culminated in the international dissemination conference organized in Dhaka, December 7th to 9th 2009 .
 

At the end of project, 40,000 stakeholders have been sensitized. The success that MFIs
have had in providing financial services to the rural poor and their extensive network in
the field make them ideal partners for promoting the use of renewable energies in rural
areas.
 

For more info, please visit : www.rendev.org

PlaNet Finance is pleased to announce two key appointments as part of its development strategy:
• François Durollet joins PlaNet Finance as the Managing Director of PlaNet Finance
• Sébastien Duquet becomes the Managing Director of PlaNIS, a business unit of PlaNet Finance specialised in investment advisory services

PlaNet Finance UK warns all its clients and loan subscribers that scam artists are sending false e-mails asking for money to pay administrative or processing charges before getting a loan. We kindly remind you that this is an illegal method and that PlaNet Finance doesn’t have any connection with these persons.

A few simple ways to ensure that you are dealing with PlaNet Finance Staff:
- PlaNet Finance never asks for any amount of money before providing a loan
- all of our e-mail addresses end with “@planetfinance.org”
- you can contact us via our website http://uk.planetfinancegroup.org/ or via e-mail contactuk@planetfinance.org

We thank you all for your vigilance.