Beyond Microfinance: Building Inclusive Rural Financial Markets in Central Asia

This publication aims to help policymakers develop national policies and strategies for building inclusive financial sectors. It is the product of global multi-stakeholder consultations held during the years 2004 and 2005 as part of the follow-up to the Monterrey Consensus adopted by the International Conference on Financing for Development.

The publication addresses the issues related to building inclusive financial sectors in the following sections:

• Setting the stage for building inclusive financial sectors;
• Factors limiting access to formal financial services;
• The manner in which retail financial institutions offer better service to poor and low income people;
• The challenges faced by MFIs in accessing financial markets;
• The policy framework and role of public sector in inclusive finance;
• Legal models, regulation and supervision in the context of inclusive finance;
• Policy issues and strategic options.

The book concludes by saying that all the stakeholders including governments, financial institutions, civil society organizations, development partners and the private sector should collectively work to design appropriate strategies and policies to meet the financial needs of the poor.