Start date:  September 28, 2015                                Duration:  September 27, 2018

Implementer:  Macedonia Microfinance Alliance

Improve access to finance tailored to the needs of low income households, entrepreneurs and MSE. Provide easier access to finance to the low/no income households, entrepreneurs and micro enterprises, thus creating new jobs, galvanizing economic growth, and reducing poverty.

• Inclusive Financial Markets – Increase the accessibility of savings accounts, loans, and other financial services to underserved populations, such as low income, entrepreneurs, women, farmers, the unemployed, rural entrepreneurs, and minorities such as Roma.
  
  • Create an all-inclusive Micro Finance Sector that would offer poor and low income people access to basic financial services (loans, savings) and new, innovative services (E-banking, M-banking, access to post terminals).
  • Improved financial and computer literacy skills  of microfinance clients, enabling them to better operate their businesses, build assets, and manage risks.
  • Extend the number of microfinance clients.
• Better environment for the micro finance providers and micro enterprises:
  
  • Provide an enabling environment for further development of non-bank financial instruments  (deposit and non-deposit taking) and products, thus that increasing finance support to MSE, entrepreneurs, and low-income persons and  improving the sustainability of micro enterprises
  • Providing certain legal status of entrepreneurs and low-income persons in Macedonia working in the informal sector.
• Regional Approach:
  
  • To promote new and strengthen existing NBFIs in the region, which requires strengthening the financial market as a pre-condition.
  • To create regional synergy by exchanging knowledge and experience for further development of the NBFIs.
  • To attain regional recognition of the Alliance as a leader in the Manufactures Financing Services MFS.
  • To foster partnerships with regional organizations.

• The Microfinance Inclusion and Innovation activity is expected to result in  improved access to finance for low-income households as well as micro and small businesses and entrepreneurs, by introducing new financial products and innovative technologies, which will lead to the creation of new jobs, economic growth, and poverty reduction.  By providing training in financial and computer literacy and easy access to the financial resources, the project will empower vulnerable groups.

Contact at USAID:  Margareta Lipkovska Atanasov, AOR, mlipkovska@usaid.gov

Chief of Party: Goran Lazarevski, goran.lazarevski@mfo.mk

Information Officer: Natasha Jordanova natasa.jordanova@mfo.mk