3 mins in Development Finance/ wk 09 2021
7 min readMar 11, 2021
My weekly reading list for those interested in development finance and Impact investing focused on developing countries.
IFC and World Bank
- (11–14.01.21) VIDEO: World Bank Group and CTA: A Global Partnership | CES Customer Technology Association
- (01.03.21) VIDEO: Expert: China could enter World Bank’s high-income category | CGTN
- (01.03.21) Opportunities for Ugandan women’s economic empowerment during COVID-19 recovery | The World Bank
- (02.03.21) The digital transformation of trade finance: An urgent present and a bright future | The World Bank
- (02.03.21) World Bank plans $100-mn guarantee scheme for solar rooftop projects | Mint
- (02.03.21) Rwandan Economic Prosperity: Good Governance, Economic Initiatives, And World Bank Assistance | The Organization for World Peace
- (02.03.21) Why investing in women and girls matters now more than ever | The World Bank
- (02.03.21) Progress towards gender equality under the law is being made, but legal barriers to women’s full economic participation remain | The World Bank
- (02.03.21) How digital solutions can ease the COVID-19 impact on displaced populations | The World Bank
- (03.03.21) Tabreed, IFC to invest $400 mn for cooling infra in India, Southeast Asia | Business Standard News
- (03.03.21) Smarter Food Policy Could Boost Health and Economic Recovery of Asian Cities | The World Bank
- (03.03.21) Maintaining Tanzania’s Lower-Middle Income Status Post-COVID-19 Will Depend on Strengthening Resilience | The World Bank
- (04.03.21) World Bank Bond Expands Support to COVID-19 Resilience Through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) | The World Bank
- (04.03.21) Joining forces as one World Bank Group | The World Bank
- (04.03.21) Central Bank of Sri Lanka and IFC Launch the Country’s First National Financial Inclusion Strategy to Boost Financial Inclusion for All | IFC
- (04.03.21) Mozambique Economic Update: Growth Expected to Rebound by 2022 | The World Bank
- (04.03.21) How do we link private sector participation and climate resilient infrastructure right now? Some ideas from PPIAF | The World Bank
- (04.03.21) Connectivity for Human Capital: Are African public transport systems up to the task? | The World Bank
- (04.03.21) Unlocking Private Investment in Climate Adaptation and Resilience |The World Bank
- (05.03.21) IFC Invests in Bolt to Expand Mobility Solutions, Boosting Earning Opportunities and Facilitating More Inclusive Transport in Emerging Markets | IFC
- (05.03.21) IFC steps up green lending in Asia | Nasdaq
- (05.03.21) Women and youth’s livelihood programs help Djibouti through the COVID-19 crisis | The World Bank
- (05.03.21) World Bank and UN Women Launch Course on Managing Gender Equality in Transportation | The World Bank
- (05.03.21) Egypt: New Project Will Support Railway Safety and Efforts to Enhance Service Quality | The World Bank
- (08.03.21) Go for it! Chief Economist Carmen Reinhart reflects on Women in Finance | The World Bank
ADB
- (02.03.21) Q&A: Boosting Growth, Resilience, and Competitiveness in Pakistan with ADB Country Director for Pakistan Xiaohong Yang | Asian Development Bank
- (02.03.21) VIDEO: ADB’s Country Partnership Strategy for Pakistan 2021–2025 | Asian Development Bank
- (03.03.21) How the People’s Republic of China is planning for a greener, more sustainable future | Asian Development Bank
- (04.03.21) Closing gender gap to boost Pakistan’s GDP by 30pc: ADB | The News
- (04.03.21) Achieving resilient emerging market economies amid the macroeconomic challenges of the 21st century
- (05.03.21) The United States in Partnership with ADB Completes Two Secondary Schools in Kathmandu | U.S. Embassy in Nepal
- (05.03.21) VIDEO: Building Climate-Resilient Watersheds in Mountain Eco-Regions in Nepal | Asian Development Bank
AfDB
- (01.03.21) The African Legal Support Facility to receive €6 million grant from the Netherlands to fund work in low-income countries |African Development Bank
- (01.03.21) Information is power: data is key to closing gender gaps in energy access in Kenya | African Development Bank
- (02.03.21) How Adesina intends to fix the AfDB’s race against downgrading | The Africa Report
- (04.03.21) African Development Bank provides $320 000 in grant funding to mainstream gender in Economic Community of West African States’ (ECOWAS) digital financial operations | Africanews
- (04.03.21) AfDB greenlights loan for ACWA Power’s 200-MW PV project in Egypt | Renewables Now
- (04.03.21) Ongoing cooperation portfolio bet. Egypt, AfDB records $640.8M | EgyptToday
- (04.03.21) Egypt, AfDB signs development financing deal worth €109M | EgyptToday
- (04.03.21) Making Finance Work for Africa webinar: Experts discuss African capital market space, Joint African Exchanges Linkages project | African Development Bank
- (05.03.21) Nigeria: African Development Bank Group provides $400,000 grant for Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria to support capital markets development | Africanews
- (06.03.21) AfDB to provide US $2.7m loan to boost water distribution in Migori, Kenya | Constuction Review
- (06.03.21) African Development Bank extends grant of $2 million to strengthen cybersecurity and boost financial inclusion in Africa | MENAFN.COM
EIB
- (01.03.21) Senegal: EIB funding to improve water supply and waste management | ESI Africa
- (03.03.21) Kenya: Team Europe partners with Equity Bank to support business and agriculture amid COVID-19 | EIB
AIIB
- (27.02.21) AIIB lends $180M to Sri Lanka | Ceylon Today
- (01.03.21) AIIB President Jin Liqun attends virtual signing ceremony in support of the Government of Indonesia’s Multifunctional Satellite PPP Project | Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- (03.03.21) AIIB chief to address Manila Forum for Chinese investors | BusinessMirror
- (03.03.21) China-led lender AIIB ready with $300M loan for PH coronavirus vaccines | Inquirer Business
- (04.03.21) China-backed AIIB says debt problem due to improper fund utilisation | Daily Mirror
CDC
- (01.03.21) COVID-19 vaccine rollout begins in Ghana using syringes purchased with support from our partner MedAccess | CDC Group
- (04.03.21) PODCAST: Harnessing impact investing for sustainable economic development | CDC Group
- (04.03.21) Evaluating CDC’s Financial Institutions Portfolio: Our high-level response | CDC Group
- (05.03.21) Disability inclusion guidance for companies | CDC Group
DFC
- (01.03.21) Development Depends on More Than Aid | Foreign Affairs
- (02.03.21) DFC Promotes Gender Equity in Financing Across India with $50 Million Investment | DFC
FMO
- (01.03.21) FMO Supports forestry company Mekong Timber Plantations’ expansion in central Laos | FMO
- (02.03.21) FMO supports African fintech platform Nomanini | FMO
Finnfund
PROPARCO
- (01.03.21) MOROCCO: Proparco guarantees financing for waste management in Casablanca | Afrik 21
- (02.03.21) DRC: Proparco finances Nuru for off-grid electrification in North Kivu | Afrik 21
Norfund
UN
Misc Content in Development Finance
- (Spring.21) From Financial Innovation to Inclusion | IMF
- (01.03.21) ‘Reducing bureaucratic restrictions can be welcoming for impact investment’ — The Hindu BusinessLine
- (01.03.21) Zambia has set itself a goal of universal access to financial services | D+C — Development + Cooperation
- (01.03.21) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala makes history at WTO | BBC News
- (01.03.21) McKinsey Veteran Seeks Impact Investment Growth | Finews
- (01.03.21) Financial Services Industry Back Under Congress’ Microscope | King & Spalding | JDSupra
- (01.03.21) The Danger of Infrastructure Incoherence | State of the Planet, Earth Institute, Columbia University
- (02.03.21) Englewood advisory firm adds specialist in impact investing | ROI-NJ
- (02.03.21) Cashless cash: financial inclusion or surveillance humanitarianism? — World | ReliefWeb
- (03.03.21) LendInvest chief moves focus away from development finance | Peer2Peer Finance News
- (03.03.21) Making Impact Investing Real: The Vital Role of Field Infrastructure — Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
- (04.03.21) Making Finance Work for Africa webinar: Experts discuss African capital market space, Joint African Exchanges Linkages project | Africanews
Misc Technology
- (24.02.21) Go Digital or Go Bust | LinkedIn
- (28.02.21) China Fintech Curbs That Hit Ant Were No Surprise, Ping An Says | BNN Bloomberg
- (01.03.21) Digital Finance: EVOLET driving financial inclusion in Malaysia | The Edge Markets
- (01.03.21) Banks vs Fintech | Finextra
- (01.03.21) China Gives Fintech Firms Up to Two Years to Meet Capital Rules | BNN Bloomberg
- (02.03.21) Why Fintech Battles Ahead Are About More Than Banks: QuickTake | Bloomberg
- (04.03.21) How cloud banking bring greater financial inclusion across SEA | TechWire Asia
- (05.03.21) China to Step Up Oversight of Fintech, Financial Holding Firms | BNN Bloomberg
- (05.03.21) Indian expat neobank raises $20m for cross-border services | International Investment
- (05.03.21) FinTech in China: Revolutionizing financial services | CGTN
- (05.03.21) How mobile network operators can drive the next wave of financial inclusion in MENA | Gulf Business
- (06.03.21) Top 10 Fintech News Stories for the Week Ending March 6, 2021 | Lend Academy
- (07.03.21) International Women’s Day: Lessons from woman in finance | Fintech Magazine
Misc Gender
- (01.02.21) The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Caused Damage to Women at Work | The Cut
- (28.02.21) Have women reaped the benefit of financial inclusion schemes? | The Hindu BusinessLine
- (01.03.21) Call №27: Opportunities at the intersection of gender and climate | Impact Alpha
- (03.03.21) Gender lens investing struggles to take off in Asia | Asset Owners | AsianInvestor
- (03.03.21) US body announces USD 50 mn loan to promote gender equity in financing of businesses | Outlook
- (03.03.21) Female-focused funds grew in 2020, but more needs to be done | Wealth Professional
- (03.03.21) FinDev Guide to Women’s Financial Inclusion and Economic Empowerment | FinDev Gateway
- (04.03.21) Women Business Correspondents: Agents of change in India’s financial inclusion | The Hindu BusinessLine
- (06.03.21) The gender investment divide: Thinking beyond stereotypes, Wealth & Investing | The Business Times
Misc Sustainability
- (01.03.21) If You Invested in ESG Funds, 2020 Was a Good Year | Triple Pundit
- (02.03.21) Will Gary Gensler Prioritize ESG Issues at the SEC? | Barron’s
- (02.03.21) Chile Tilting toward Sustainability | S&P Dow Jones Indices
- (03.03.21) Sustainable Investment Special Report: How should investors approach China ‘at start of ESG journey’? | Investment Week
- (03.03.21) Analyst survey: Almost a quarter of all companies to be carbon neutral by 2030 |Investment Week
- (05.03.21) African businesses must get ahead of the curve in sustainable investing | Business Live
Subscription Required
- (18.02.21) Pandemic Stokes Interest in Gates-Backed Public Health Fund | Bloomberg
- (03.03.21) Ecuador’s exporters caught between US and China after debt deal | Financial Times
- (04.03.21) VIDEO: ESG Is All the Rage. Big Investors Can’t Agree on Why. | WSJ
Upcoming Webinar
- March 24, 2021: Implementing the AfCFTA — The Need for Deepening Private Sector Engagement and Commitment | African Development Bank (AfDB), UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Trade Centre (ITC)
“The panelists will reflect on: measures to promote the benefits of the AfCFTA among the private sector; suitable trade policies and regulations to make the AfCFTA work for the African business community; and steps to increase intra-African trade. They will also explore ways to boost the participation of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), women and young entrepreneurs in the new single market to facilitate growth and enhance job creation. - June 22–25 : Sustainable Investment Festival — Registrations open!
