Institutional Providers of Rural Finance and Microfinance Services
The distinction between microfinance and small and medium enterprise (SME) finance and the recognition of the different types of financial institutions catering to those
segments are important to the assessment of the adequacy of access and the effect of regulation. While different categories of borrowers often face similar constraints, lenders commonly distinguish between microfinance, which refers to credit provided to poor households and to informal (i. e., unregistered) microenterprises, and SME finance, which refers to credit given to enterprises registered as large microenterprises, small businesses, and medium-size enterprises.
There are several important differences between the two categories of borrowers. Microfinance is most often provided by non-bank institutions such as NGO MFIs that are often based on the group-lending approach (although numerous microfinance loans may consist of loans to individuals rather than to groups), as well as various membership - based financial cooperatives and mutual-assistance associations. SME finance is provided mainly by banks, building societies, and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) and does not use a group-lending approach. Another important difference is security: Microfinance is almost never formally secured, although informal security (i. e., not legally binding) in the form of collateral interest over household goods and tools is commonly used, while SME finance usually allows a firm’s assets or personal guarantees to legally secure small business loans. Those differences create a natural separation between the institutions that specialize mainly in microfinance and the institutions that provide small business loans, although some institutions do provide both kinds of finance services.
Institutional providers of financial services to low-income rural households, microenterprises, and small businesses fall into several categories according to the scope of regulation, type of ownership, and type of services offered. The institutions can be differentiated on (a) whether they are required to obtain a license to carry out financial intermediation activities, to be registered with some central agency (but not required to obtain a license) that will provide nondeposit credit-only services, or to be registered as a legal entity; (b) what type of organizational format, including ownership and governance aspects, they have; and (c) what types of financial services are permitted and provided. The principal categories are
• government programs or agencies for rural finance, microfinance, or SME finance
• non-bank, nonprofit NGO MFIs
• membership-based cooperative financial institutions (CFIs)
• postal savings banks (PSBs) or institutions
• development finance institutions
• specialized banking institutions (usually licensed for limited operations, activities, or services to differentiate them from full-service commercial banks) such as rural banks, microfinance banks, and non-bank finance companies
• commercial banks
Key differences in the organization and operation of those different institutions are highlighted in table 7.1. The institutions differ in terms of what products and services they are allowed by law and regulation to offer; whether they are subject to rigorous prudential regulation, internal governance structure, and accountability; and how funds for administrative and business operations are sourced. The differences arise from the applicability of legal and regulatory requirements, and those differences have important
|
Institutional provider |
Organizational format |
Ownership |
Regulatory status and how regulated |
Financial services permitted to be offered |
|
Government rural or micro or SME finance programs or agencies |
Trust fund or agency |
Government |
Not regulated by banking authority |
Wholesale or onlending funds to participating institutions |
|
Non-bank/nonprofit/ NGO MFIs |
Nonprofit foundation, trust, or association |
Private sector entities or organizations |
Not regulated by banking authority |
Microfinance loans only; no voluntary deposits |
|
Membership-based cooperative financial institutions (CFIs) |
Savings and credit cooperative organization (SACCO) or credit union |
Members |
Not regulated by banking authority, but may be regulated by department in cooperative |
Savings and time deposits and loans to members only |
|
Postal savings banks (PSBs) |
State-chartered institution |
Government |
Not regulated by banking authority |
Savings and time (fixed) deposits only and money transfers |
|
Development finance institutions |
State-chartered institution |
Government |
May or may not be regulated by banking authority |
Wholesale certificates of deposit, loans, and credits |
|
Specialized banking institutions |
||||
|
Rural banks |
Limited liability company |
Private sector investors or shareholders |
Licensed or supervised by banking authority |
Savings and time deposits, loans, and money transfers |
|
Microfinance banks |
Limited liability company |
Private sector investors or shareholders |
Licensed or supervised by banking authority |
Savings deposits, microfinance loans, and money transfers |
|
Non-bank finance companies |
Limited liability company |
Private sector investors or shareholders |
Licensed but not necessarily supervised by banking authority |
Wholesale certificates of deposit, loans, and credits |
|
Commercial banks |
Limited liability company |
Private sector investors or shareholders, or state-owned institution |
Licensed or supervised by banking authority |
Demand and savings and time deposits, loans, credits, money transfers, and foreign exchange; full banking services |
implications for the outreach and sustainability of the institutions. For indicators of structure, outreach, and performance of MFIs, see box 7.1.
 |
Not all institutional providers of financial services listed in table 7.1 may exist in a given country for a number of important reasons, including the stage of development of the rural finance and microfinance sector. In a number of countries, rural finance and microfinance services may be provided by several types of institutions.
