What's Wrong with Microfinance?

By Thomas Dichter and Malcolm Harper

Microfinance has been a long-lived development fashion and in 2005 it enjoyed the accolade of a UN International Year. Many of the world's biggest multinational banks are now eagerly committing quite substantial sums to it, for business as well as public relations purposes. However, there are some important problems which risk being ignored or are fleetingly observed but then swept under the carpet in the current euphoria. The authors sound a timely and overdue warning to governments, bankers, donors and the general public and urges people to pause, reassess their expectations, re-think some policies and to recognise that microfinance is never a panacea and may sometimes be actively damaging to its intended customers. This important book will be of interest to students of microfinance, microfinance practitioners internationally, bankers, government ministries and NGO donor agencies, training institutions, and academics in finance, economics and sociology.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1853396672
• ISBN13: 9781853396670
• Release Date: December 2007
• Publisher: Practical Action Publishing
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

An eye opener

I initially thought this book will have negative points of view on Microfinance. In other words, what has Microfinance done apart from creating more debts but on smaller scale? Which only goes to enchain more people with loans? However, I now think, the book was a necessary read for any Microfinance enthusiast, its an eye opener, which will no doubt help Microfinance practitioners consider more factors before shouting "Hey lets do Microfinance" or when considering Microfinance as a solution to world poverty, it may be one good way for supporting small businesses, but not the solution to world poverty. The book is a good and enjoyable read and very very informative.