SPBD Microfinance (Fiji) Ltd.

Mission:

The mission of the SPBD network is to improve the quality of life of families living in poverty by providing unsecured credit, training, and ongoing motivation and guidance to help them start, grow and maintain micro-businesses, build assets, as well as, finance home improvements and childhood ... Read more

Background and Main Challenges:

Following on the success of its operations in Samoa and Tonga, SPBD Microfinance Limited (Fiji) launched in October 2010. SPBD Fiji already serves more than 2,300 loan clients with a portfolio outstanding of over FJD1,100,000 (approximately USD$600,000) making it the largest microfinance ... Read more

Address:

Bidesi Bldg, 250 Waimanu Road

Suva, Fiji Islands

Fiji

Phone:

(679) 331-1169

Email:

gmfiji [at] spbd [dot] com [dot] fj

Website:

www.spbdmicrofinance.com

Main Funding Sources:

Grants

Loans

Shareholder Capital

Products and Services:

Loans

Voluntary Savings

Insurance

Training and Consulting

Looking for (Investment Types):

Equity

Loans in Local Currency

Loans in USD

Capacity-Building Grants

Donations

Guarantees

Loans in EUR

% Operations Comprised by MF:

91 - 100

Date established:

Oct 18 2010

Current Legal Status:

NBFI

Regulated:

Social Performance Profile


+ Mission specifics
+ Target markets (ranked by importance)
Women	1
Clients living in rural areas	2
Clients living in urban areas	3
+ Development goals (ranked by importance)
Poverty reduction	1
Increased access to financial services	2
Development of start-up enterprises	3
Growth of existing businesses	4
Children's schooling	5
Housing	6
+ Poverty targets
Very poor clients
Poor clients
Low income clients
+ Governance
+ Range of products and services
+ Financial products and services offered
+ Credit products offered
Microcredit loans for microenterprises
Loans for education
Housing loans
+ Savings products offered
Voluntary savings accounts
+ Compulsory insurance products required
Compulsory credit life insurance
Life Insurance
+ Voluntary insurance products offered
Voluntary life insurance
+ Other financial products and services offered
Mobile banking services
+ Non-financial services offered
+ Enterprise services offered
+ Education services offered
Financial literacy education
+ Health services offered
+ Women's empowerment services offered
+ Products and services targeting the poor
Products and services specifically designed to target the poor:
+ Social responsibility to clients
+ Client protection principles in use
The loan approval process requires evaluation of borrower repayment capacity and loan affordability. Loan approval does not rely solely on guarantees (whether peer guarantees, co-signers or collateral) as a substitute for good capacity analysis.
Productivity targets and incentive systems value portfolio quality at least as highly as other factors, such as disbursement or customer growth. Growth is rewarded only if portfolio quality is high.
Prices, terms and conditions of all financial products are fully disclosed to the customer prior to sale, including interest charges, insurance premiums, minimum balances, all fees, penalties, linked products, third party fees, and whether these can change over time.
Staff is trained to communicate effectively with all customers, ensuring that they understand the product, the terms of the contract, their rights and obligations. Communications techniques address literacy limitations (e.g. reading contracts out loud, materials in local languages).
Acceptable and unacceptable debt collection practices are clearly spelled out in a code of ethics, book of staff rules or debt collection manual.
The organization's corporate culture values and rewards high standards of ethical behavior and customer service.
A mechanism to handle customer complaints is in place, has dedicated staff resources, and is actively used. (Suggestion boxes alone are generally not considered adequate.)
Customers know how their information will be used. Staff explains how data will be used and seeks permission for use.
+ Cost of services to clients
Flat interest method
+ Social responsibility to staff
+ Human resources
Transparency on salary (a clear salary scale based upon market salaries)
Benefits (medical insurance, pension contribution)
Protection at work (safety, anti-harassment)
Equality (anti-discrimination, equal pay for men and women with equivalent skill levels)
+ Basis of staff incentives related to social performance
Outreach to remote/rural communities
Quality of interaction with clients based on client feedback mechanisms
Client retention/drop-out rate
Portfolio quality
+ Social responsibility to the environment
This institution identifies enterprises with environmental risk
This institution offers lending lines linked to alternative energies
+ Poverty measurement tools in use
Own proxy poverty index

Related Organizations

Current
Name	Relationship
Microdreams foundation	Funding

MFI Report