With increasing assistance from the World Bank and other donors, microfinance is emerging as an instrument for reducing poverty and improving the poor's access to financial services in low-income countries. Providing the poor with access to financial services is one of many ways to help increase their incomes and productivity. In many countries, however, traditional financial institutions have failed to provide this service. Microcredit and cooperative programs fill this gap. They provide credit through social mechanisms such as group-based lending to reach the poor and other clients,...
With increasing assistance from the World Bank and other donors, microfinance is emerging as an instrument for reducing poverty and improving the poor...
'Given the remarkable increase in regional integration agreements RIAs] in the past decade, understanding of their economic rationale and consequences is essential. Schiff and Winters succeed admirably in covering the conceptual, empirical, and policy issues arising from RIAs in an informed, comprehensible, and accessible manner. Their book should be required reading for policy analysts, academics, and students concerned with evaluation of RIA initiatives.' -- Robert M. Stern, Department of Economics and Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan 'Regional Integration and...
'Given the remarkable increase in regional integration agreements RIAs] in the past decade, understanding of their economic rationale and consequence...
