Europe/Central Asia

Overview

CGAP Activities in ECA
CGAP’s work in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is primarily focused on deepening relationships with regulatory authorities, policymakers, and the funding community in the region in order to build policy environments that balance financial access, financial stability, and the protection of customers, as well as facilitate responsible investment. We gather data and conduct analysis on cross-border funding flows going to microfinance in the region. We also collaborate with two key regional microfinance associations– the Microfinance Center for Central and Eastern Europe and the New Independent States (MFC) in Poland and the Russian Microfinance Center (RMC) in Russia. Together with MFC and RMC, we disseminate various CGAP publications to policymakers, donors, investors, and other stakeholders and we translate key publications into Russian. With RMC, CGAP works on advancing the financial inclusion agenda in Russia. With both RMC and MFC, and with CGAP members and other key stakeholders active in ECA, we leverage common elements of the region's shared history and linked regulatory frameworks to identify issues and develop shared solutions to problems faced by policymakers, funders, retail providers, and clients in the region.

CGAP also collaborates with the MIX in the area of regional microfinance landscape mapping. Every year, we publish an analytical report on the state of microfinance and the latest trends in ECA covering not only microfinance providers, but also activities of the funders and the latest policy developments. Also, CGAP has long-standing and close working relationships with the key funders in the ECA region such as EBRD and KfW. We provide them with both quick ad-hoc advice, as well as thorough analysis and policy diagnostic assessments on issues such as microfinance legislation, MFI transformation, branchless banking, and inputs on project design.

ECA Microfinance at a Glance
In 2009, microfinance institutions (MFIs) in ECA were hit by the financial and economic crisis the hardest of all regions worldwide, with the effects of the crisis felt strongly across all subregions. For more information, please see the CGAP-MIX 2010 Eastern Europe and Central Asia Microfinance Analysis and Benchmarking Report.

For more information, contact CGAP Regional Representative Olga Tomilova.

Key Macroeconomic Indicators and Volume Figures, as of December 2009