Conference Transparent Pricing Initiative in Ecuador
LANCASTER, PA USA & QUITO, ECUADOR, November 8, 2010 – MFTransparency, a global initiative working to bring pricing transparency to the microfinance industry, will host a conference marking the data launch of the Transparent Pricing Initiative in Ecuador on November 30, 2010 at the Hotel Dann Carlton in Quito, Ecuador.
This event, organized in collaboration with the local microfinance network Red Financiera Rural (RFR), represents another key milestone for MFTransparency´s Transparent Pricing Initiative in Latin America, launched in April this year. This Initiative, sponsored by the Ford Foundation, aims to provide a forum for dialogue on the issue of pricing transparency among industry stakeholders as well as to foster a healthy free market environment and enhance consumer protection in the microfinance industry. Alongside Ecuador, this event is currently well underway in three other Latin American countries: Argentina, Bolivia, and Colombia.
The event will be directed by MFTransparency’s President and CEO Chuck Waterfield, who will present the results of the analysis of pricing data for microloans products the organization has been collecting in Ecuador.
The conference will feature representatives from a wide range of industry stakeholders including microfinance institutions, regulatory authorities and funders, who will participate in a series of panels, workshops and small group discussions. MFTransparency will also present several new materials related to education on interest rates. The event will further mark the award of MFTransparency´s Certificate of Pricing Transparency to those MFIs which have demonstrated their commitment to transparent pricing by participating in the Initiative.
The panel discussions will promote an enhanced understanding of the cost curve and the diverse factors which determine prices in the Ecuadorian market. The event will also include small group discussions delving into more specific and technical issues such as the current regulatory environment, the experiences of the unregulated sector and the business case for pricing transparency. Finally, the workshops will provide a dynamic platform for industry stakeholders to share experiences and insights on pricing transparency at the client level.
This conference will take place on November 30 at the Hotel Dann Carlton. It is open to all stakeholders of the Ecuadorian microfinance sector. The event is free of charge and will include a coffee break as well as a complementary lunch. Capacity is limited and early registration is strongly recommended.
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About the Transparent Pricing Initiative in Latin America:
Through the Transparent Pricing Initiative in Latin America, MFTransparency will raise awareness of transparent pricing issues throughout the region, and begin to implement an enabling environment for transparency and consumer protection. The Initiative, launched in April 2010, will take place in four countries in South America: Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia and Argentina.
The Transparent Pricing Initiative in Latin America is sponsored by the Ford Foundation. For more than half a century, the Ford Foundation has worked with courageous people on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. MFTransparency will conduct the Transparent Pricing Initiative in Bolivia and Ecuador during the first half of 2010 and in Argentina and Colombia by the end of 2010. Through this Initiative we will raise awareness about issues in transparent pricing through data collection, training on pricing transparency and the development and dissemination of educational materials.
For more information on MFTransparency´s Transparent Pricing Initiative in Latin America see:
https://www.mftransparency.org/pages/transparent-pricing-initiative-in-latin-america/
About MFTransparency:
MicroFinance Transparency (MFTransparency) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 2008 with the purpose of facilitating transparent markets through the dissemination of true cost information to all market stakeholders. MFTransparency represents an industry movement toward fair practices and responsibility. Based in the United States, the group has organized transparent pricing efforts in Bosnia, Peru, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Bolivia and India. For more information please visit www.mftransparency.org. Grameen Bank’s Dr. Mohammad Yunus and Elizabeth Littlefield, CEO of CGAP, as well as more than 200 industry professionals and organizations have committed to transparent pricing by endorsing MFTransparency and its initiative. For information on MFTransparency staff, please see Who We Are.
For any questions related to this press release please contact:
Jordan Filko
Development and Communications Associate
MFTransparency
[email protected]
For more information on this conference or to register please contact:
Jessica Haeussler
Latin America Regional Associate
MFTransparency
[email protected]
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