Notice: MFTransparency is now a defunct organization. Click here for further information.

MFTransparency to launch pricing data for microloans in Bolivia

Published on October 21, 2010

MFTransparency will be hosting a conference on October 21, 2010 in La Paz, Bolivia to launch the pricing data it collected during the Transparent Pricing Initiative in the country as well as the progress of its other initiatives Latin America.

Click here to read the Microfinance Focus article

 

MFTransparency to launch pricing data for microloans in Bolivia, Microfinance Focus, Sep 21, 2010

Microfinance Transparency (MFTransparency) will be hosting a conference on October 21, 2010 in La Paz, Bolivia to launch the pricing data it collected during the Transparent Pricing Initiative in the country as well as the progress of its other initiatives Latin America. Results of the analysis of pricing data for microloans products the organization has been collecting over the past three months in Bolivia will be presented in the conference. The event is organized in collaboration with the local microfinance networks ASOFIN and FINRURAL.

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. It launched its Transparent Pricing Initiative in Latin America in April this year. Based in the United States, the group has organized transparent pricing efforts in Bosnia, Peru, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, Kenya, Bangladesh, Ecuador, Bolivia and India.

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 Bolivia, this event is currently underway in three other Latin American countries including Argentina, Colombia and 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 developed specifically for the Bolivian microfinance market in collaboration with local partners. 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 Bolivian 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 non-profit 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.

No Comments