Everybody is a Banker (Let's have a Break!)

Publication Date: 2003
Published by: U.K.: Alternative Finance
Document Type: Paper

View this Document   Email this Document

To what extent should development practitioners immerse themselves in the banking industry, and how effective are they in doing so?

This short opinion essay begins with a focus on the history of the microfinance movement, coming to the conclusion that there is a need to take stock. The microfinance industry has been a revolution, one that has brought about many fundamental changes. The author also criticizes the infiltration of development practitioners who feel that they can, through simply the aid of a few microfinance websites and downloadable tools, assume the role of bankers, without the necessary training and practical experience. In sum, he argues that bankers should get on with their own business. [adapted from author]