fb26-oss/The-microfinance-landscape-in-Central-Africa

The microfinance landscape in Central Africa (Etat des Lieux du Paysage de la Microfinance dans la CEMAC) Overview This repository hosts a thematic study published by the Bank of Central African States (BEAC), titled Etat des lieux du paysage de la microfinance dans la CEMAC, part of the broader 2019 thematic series on Microfinance et Surliquidite Bancaire dans la CEMAC. The paper was authored by a team of BEAC researchers: Bomba Mbida Frederic, Ndzie Felix, Kenkouo Guy Albert, and Onomo Betsama Julie. The document was released by BEAC's Direction Generale des Etudes, Finances et Relations Internationales, dated 3 January 2022. The views expressed in the paper belong solely to its authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of BEAC. Context Microfinance has long been regarded as a strategic tool for poverty reduction and financial inclusion, both at the community level and at the national level. In the CEMAC region, the sector developed unevenly across member states depending on each country's economic, regulatory, and legal environment. A turning point came in April 2002, when a common regulatory framework for microfinance institutions (etablissements de microfinance, EMF) was adopted across CEMAC, placing every licensed and active EMF under the supervision of the Central African Banking Commission (COBAC). Since then the sector has gradually moved out of informality and has become an increasingly important driver of growth in the sub region. This study forms part of a wider BEAC research program on the liquidity of financial institutions in CEMAC. It focuses specifically on mapping the microfinance landscape. Objective The paper aims to describe the weight of microfinance within the CEMAC financial ecosystem by presenting the evolution of the sector's main activity and performance indicators, its contribution to financial inclusion, and the nature of the relationship between the banking sector and the microfinance sector. The authors conclude …