SPEECH BY DR TUKIYA KANKASA-MABULA DEPUTY GOVERNOR ADMINISTRATION, BANK OF ZAMBIA AT THE CEREMONY TO DISBURSE LOANS TO WOMEN SELF HELP GROUPS UNDER INDO-ZAMBIA BANK S MICRO CREDIT SCHEME IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE DAUGHTERS OF MARY IMMACULATE (DMI) OLYMPIC YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (OYDC) WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST 2015 09.00 TO 12:35 HRS - 1 -
SALUTATIONS Her Honour, The Vice President, Madam Inonge Wina, Mp Chairperson of the Board of Indo-Zambia Bank Limited, Mrs Orlean Moyo Managing Director of Indo-Zambia Bank Limited, Mr Shankardas Gupta The Coordinator of Daughters of Mary Immaculate (DMI) Women s World, Sr Fatima Members of the Self Help Groups Invited Guests Members of The Press Distinguished Guests GOOD MORNING It s an honour for me to represent the Bank of Zambia at this important occasion. I am delighted to be part of this occasion, particularly, in the context of the Bank of Zambia s strategic objective on financial inclusion, where the economic empowerment of women through access to financial services is amongst our priorities as the Bank recognises that women have the ability to be productive and diligent economic agents. - 2 -
In this regard, Bank of Zambia has expanded its financial inclusion agenda to integrate gender mainstreaming in financial inclusion strategies so as to increase women s access to finance and financial services. I am pleased to inform you that the recent results of the FinScope Zambia 2015 survey, which measures the access to, demand for, and barriers to the full range of financial services offered in a particular country, found that 59.3% of the Zambian adult population had access to, and usage of both formal and informal financial services. This represented an increase from the findings of 2009, where only 37.3% of the adult population had access to financial services. Women in particular, recorded a significant increase in their access to financial services compared to the 2009 position. For instance, The level of financial access for women increased to 57.4% in 2015, compared to 33.9% in 2009; In 2015, the survey found that 17.2% of women had or used formal financial services, compared to 13.9% in 2009; In 2015, the survey also found that 24.1% of women used informal financial services, compared to 14.1% in 2009; and Most importantly, in 2015, the proportion of women that were financially excluded had declined to 42.6% compared to 62.7% in 2009. - 3 -
It is worthwhile to note, that initiatives taken by financial institutions to develop financial products and services that are tailored to meet the needs of women, have had a positive bearing on the financial inclusion of women. Indo Zambia is therefore to be commended for the role it is playing in the provision of credit facilities to women entrepreneurs., I am reliably informed that the Micro Credit Scheme has been in existence since 2008. In 2011, Indo-Zambia Bank Limited disbursed its first loan amounting to K140,000 to 20 women groups. Over the past four years, the bank has disbursed a total of K4.7 million under this scheme through the Self Help Groups in conjunction with the Daughters of Mary Immaculate (DMI) Sisters who are presently working with over 2,500 women beneficiaries. This year Indo-Zambia Bank will disburse loans amounting to K3.22 million to 85 women self-help groups covering over 1,700 individual beneficiaries from various compounds in Lusaka as well as the districts of Chilanga, Nyimba and Mongu. It is encouraging to note that the Self Help Group Scheme is growing both in terms of portfolio size and the scope of coverage. The increase in the amount of the loans disbursed under the Micro Credit Scheme, and the number of women beneficiaries accessing the facility demonstrates two important factors for access to finance for women in Zambia, and these are:- - 4 -
Firstly, there is a financing gap in credit and loan facilities for women, and women-owned enterprises, which can only be fulfilled if more financial service providers come on board to tailor products to address women s needs; and Secondly, women are responsible clients who have the capacity and willingness to meet their loan obligations. This in turn should serve as a motivation for financial service providers to increase their loan exposures to women, and women-owned enterprises. - I therefore applaud the loyal women and members of the self-help groups that have raised the profile of women as good clients of financial service providers, and in particular Indo Zambia Bank Limited, which as a result is increasing their exposure to women. May I take this opportunity to applaud Indo-Zambia Bank for the efforts it is making to supplement the government s efforts in poverty eradication and helping to foster financial inclusion and economic empowerment of women in society. As the Central Bank, we commend Indo-Zambia Bank and DMI for creating the Micro Credit Scheme, which was borne out of the identified need to develop financial products that address specific needs in our society. - 5 -
I further wish to wholeheartedly commend the DMI Sisters for the work they are doing to handhold the women from the self-help groups to develop their entrepreneurial and financial management skills. I am confident that the women have also been instilled with the discipline to repay their financial obligations back to the Micro Credit Scheme, and hence the decision by Indo Zambia Bank to increase the size of the loans disbursed under the scheme. The fact that Indo-Zambia Bank is working with established institutions within our communities is consistent with the Bank of Zambia s vision on financial inclusion where we envisage increased leverage on existing infrastructure to deliver meaningful financial services across the country. The partnership model between Indo Zambia Bank, the DMI Sisters and the women s self- help groups, is a successful business model encouraged under financial inclusion strategies, which I am proud to know has worked successfully in Zambia. The Bank of Zambia is particularly pleased because the strategic partnership between Indo Zambia Bank and the DMI Sisters provides the capacity and mechanism vital for supervision and ensures sustainable growth of such groups. - 6 -
I am also particularly happy to note that the Self Help Group Micro Credit Scheme continues to waive collateral and guarantee requirements which have in the past proved to be major barriers for the marginalised to access finance in the formal sector. Such partnerships also assist the Bank of Zambia to fulfil its overall objective of fostering financial inclusion and empowerment of the vulnerable segments of the society. I wish to implore Indo Zambia Bank and DMI to deepen this partnership model further through the addition of savings, medical insurance and microinsurance business products for women, as a way of boosting the financial security for both their households and businesses. Any nation s development greatly depends on the financial system to efficiently allocate finances to the productive economic sectors. By reaching out to these underserved or unserved segments of our population, Indo Zambia Bank is making a positive contribution towards national development. The impact of the Micro Credit Scheme programme towards the upliftment of the grass-roots segment in society is significant. - 7 -
In this regard, I would like to encourage many more community groups to make use of the Micro Credit Scheme in order for them to realise their vision of growing their businesses. As I conclude, I wish to state that the Bank of Zambia will continue to support innovative products like the Micro Credit Scheme which we are witnessing today. This is especially important because it targets the vulnerable women in our society. Once again I wish to commend Indo-Zambia Bank for empowering women through access to finance. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL - 8 -