THE REAL SITUATION and POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Copyright
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Editor: Associate Prof. PhD. Nguyen Kim Anh MICROFINANCE IN VIETNAM: THE REAL SITUATION AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Copyright This research report is copyrighted of Vietnam Microfinance Wokring Group (VMFWG). For rights of reproduction or translation, application should be made to VMFWG. This research project was completed by the cooperation of the consulting group including Associate Prof. PhD. Nguyen Kim Anh, PhD. Le Thanh Tam, BA. Nguyen Manh Cuong, MA. Nguyen Van Thuyet and MA, Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai with financial assistance from Citi Foundation-Citibank Vietnam, ADA organization, Cordaid organization, and Metlife Foundation – Give2Asia organization. The view of this research report is independent, which does not reflect the view of VMFWG. Citi foundation The Citi Foundation supports the economic empowerment and financial inclusion of low- to moderate-income people in communities where Citi operates. We work collaboratively with a range of partners to design and test financial inclusion innovations with potential to achieve scale and support leadership and knowledge building activities. Through a "More than Philanthropy" approach, we put the strength of Citi's business resources and people to work to enhance our philanthropic investments and help improve communities. Additional information can be found at http://www.citigroup.com/citi/foundation/index.htm ADA organization ADA is a Luxembourgish NGO that works to promote inclusive finance worldwide. ADA is convinced that access to financial services can bring about a lasting improvement in the living conditions of poor populations. Therefore, ADA supports inclusive finance professionals to help the approximately 2.5 billion adults locked out of the conventional financial system to aim for self-sufficient and decent lives. ADA has been developing effective financial products and services to fight poverty for almost 20 years. Research and innovation are key elements of its work. ADA favours supporting and training the players of inclusive finance in developing countries over assistance. This respects their autonomy and provides them with the tools they need to build their own future. ADA strives to create an effective, sustainable and highly social inclusive finance sector. All of ADA's initiatives promote transparency and rigour in the sector. ADA supports the implementation of tools to measure social performance and transparency, as well as preventing over indebtedness. ADA strives to be a reliable partner to support the autonomous development of populations excluded from conventional financial services. For more information, please visit: http://www.ada-microfinance.org/en Cordaid organization Cordaid (Catholic Organisation for Relief & Development Aid) is one of the largest development organizations in the Netherlands and has a network of 634 partner organizations in more than thirty countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Cordaid has been protecting vulnerable human beings for almost 100 years, wherever poverty, injustice and violence have struck the hardest, both close to home and further afield. Cordaid has an Investment Fund out of which Cordaid invests in microfinance institutions and funds that offer loans, guarantees and capital stock to people and businesses that have limited other options. We do so including in regions that involve a greater risk than other investors are willing to take. Cordaid has been investing in cost-effective entrepreneurship for over 16 years. Its capital amounts to 70 million euros, which has been invested in over 100 microfinance organizations in 12 countries. For more information, please visit: www.cordaid.org MetLife Foundation MetLife was founded on a simple but powerful insight: everyone needs access to the right financial tools to persue more from life. That core belief has shaped MetLife’s business since our founding in 1868. And in 2013, that same belief inspired MetLife Foundation’s new strategic focus on financial inclusion – our commitment to ensuring that more of the world’s low-income families have the financial services they need to persue more from life. For more information, please visit: https://www.metlife.com/about/corporate-responsibility/metlife-foundation/index.html Give2Asia organization Give2Asia is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that promotes and inspires philanthropy for Asia. Charitable gifts made to Give2Asia may be recommended by donors for specific charitable purposes and organizations in Asia, subject to a review of its qualifications and approval by the Give2Asia Board of Directors. For more information on Give2Asia’s grant administration process, please visit a website http://www.give2asia.org/ Vietnam Microfinance Working Group The Vietnam Microfinance Working Group (VMFWG) was established as a forum for microfinance practitioners to share knowledge, skills and ideas in order to overcome the key challenges of the sector. As the peak industry body, the VMFWG contributes to strengthening the voice of the sector in the policy-making sphere. VMFWG founded in 2004 as an informal organization under the NGO Resource Centre – VUFO. In September 2011, the VMFWG officially became a Center under the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (VINASME). For more information, please visit: www.microfinance.vn VIETNAM MICROFINANCE WORKING GROUP (VMFWG) MICROFINANCE IN VIETNAM: THE REAL SITUATION AND POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Editors: Associate Prof. PhD. Nguyen Kim Anh Members of editing group: PhD. Le Thanh Tam BA. Nguyen Manh Cuong MA. Nguyen Van Thuyet MA. Nguyen Thi Tuyet Mai Hanoi, 2014 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to express our sincerely thanks to the cooperation, support of information sharing and precious time of organizations and individuals for us during the implementation of the Research. We expect that the information, analysis, evaluation and recommen- dations proposed by the Research could create an overall picture which reflects the real situation of operating environment, policy and regulatory framework for microfinance institutions, thereby provoking the breakthrough steps, practical actions to improve policy mechanism and pay more appropriate attention of local authorities of different levels, the social-political organizations and other stakeholders to support the system of microfinance institutions in operating effectively and developing sustainably towards the poor/low income people who are the end beneficiaries from outcomes of enabling microfinance activities in Vietnam. We would like to thank to PhD. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huong - Finance and Accounting Department, the State Bank of Vietnam; PhD. Phi Trong Hien – Banking Prudential Regulation Department, Supervision Banking Agency, the State Bank of Vietnam; Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy - Vice President, Vietnam Women's Union; Ms Nguyen Hong Hanh - Operations Officer, Finance and Markets, International Finance Corporation (IFC) for your comments on the Research. These useful suggestions and counterpoints contributed to improve the quality of Reseach and recommendations remarkably. Our sincere thanks would also be sent to PhD. Phi Trong Hien - Banking Prudential Regulation Department, Supervision Banking Agency, the State Bank of Vietnam for your support during the implementation and completion of the Research. Your comments and counterpoints gave the overall, objective and appropriate view of actual microfinance actitivites, verified messages that we would like to send to Government agencies and microfinance practitioners. 2 - VIETNAM MICROFINANCE WORKING GROUP Finally, we express our gratitude to the donors including: Citi Foundation - Citibank Vietnam; ADA Organization; Cordaid Organization - Netherlands for your encouragement and financial support to launch the idea and accomplish the Research. On behalf of the team Editor Associate Prof. PhD. Nguyen Kim Anh VIETNAM MICROFINANCE WORKING GROUP - 3 ABBRVIATIONS ADA: Appui au Developpement Autonome ADB: Asian Development Bank AFC: Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Finance Corporation of Japan AFD: French Agency for Development Agribank: Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development BAAC: Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives BPM: Bank Pertanian Malaysia BWTP: Banking with the poor CARE: CARE Organization CEP: Capital Aid Fund for Employment of the Poor CIC: Credit Information Center CMA: Citi Microentrepreneurship Award Co-op Bank: Co-operative Bank of Viet Nam FPW: Thanh Hoa Fund for Poor Women FSS: Financial Self-sufficiency HCMC: Ho Chi Minh City HSBC: The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited IFC: International Finance Corporation IPO: Initial Public Offering NGOs: Non-governmental Organization M7MFI: M7 Microfinance Institution MDGs: Millennium Development Goals MF: Microfinance MFOs: Microfinance Organizations 4 - VIETNAM MICROFINANCE WORKING GROUP MIX: The MIX Market MPA: Mutual Protection Association MOLISA: Ministry of labor - Invalids and Social Affairs MOM: TienGiang Women Fund for Economic Development OSS: Operational Self-sufficiency PAR: Portfolio at risk PCFs: People's Credit Funds ROA: Return on Asset ROE: Return on Equity SC: Save the Children SC/US: Save the Children – United State SOE: State-owned Enterprises SPTF: The Social Performance Task Force TDF: The Dariu Foundation TYM: Tinh Thuong One Member Limited Liability Microfinance Institution UN: United Nations UNDP: United Nations Development Programme VBSP: Vietnam Bank for Social Policies VBARD: Vietnam Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development VINASME: