Strategy for the Microfinance Industry in Iraq – Outreach and Growth
The role of microfinance in Iraq’s development; regional examples of the benefits to banks from the business to business relationships between banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs); regional examples of the benefits from lending to micro, small, and medium size enterprises (MSMEs).

Panel Participants

• Moderator:  Nadia Dawood, Senior Economic Growth Officer, Office of Economic Growth and Agriculture, USAID/Iraq
• Cliff Ruder, Senior Microfinance Advisor, USAID Izdihar Project
• Guillermo Bolanos, CHF Project Director for Access to Credit Initiative
• Majdi Hussein, ACDI/VOCA Project Director for Access to Credit Services Initiative
• Arafat Dajani, Relief International Country Director for Access to Credit Services Initiative
• Bassem Khanfer, General Manager, National Microfinance Bank, Jordan

Topics Discussed

1. Challenges facing MFIs in working with Iraqi banks
2. Profits and business opportunities available to banks from B2B relationships with MFIs
3. The legal and regulatory environment affecting microfinance
4. The role of microfinance and MFIs, their unique products, and their niche in the financial sector
5. The Jordan experience: how microfinance helped the economy and the banking industry; the benefits of MSME lending  

Reference Works

Mohammed, Mudher and Ghelan, Bader.  "Toward a Micro-Finance Programme for Small Enterprises". October 2003. Online. Available: www.cbiraq.org/cbs8.htm.

USAID/Iraq IZDIHAR Project. "The Iraq Microfinance Strategy". February 2007.

For additional information on summit presentations and proceedings, contact us at communications@izdihar-iraq.