E-bulletin, June 2010

The Cooperation Agreement is Signed Between Rostrud, OPORA Russia, and NAMMS.

On June 4, 2010 the Federal Service for Employment and Labor Relations (Rostrud) hosted the signing of the Cooperation Agreement between Rostrud, "OPORA Russia", and the Non-Commercial Partnership "National Partnership of Microfinance Market Stakeholders". The Head of the Rostrud Yuriy Gertsiy, the President of the "OPORA Russia" Sergey Borisov, and the NAMMS President Mikhail Mamuta signed the Agreement.

This agreement will allow to unite efforts on providing information and consulting support on further business development unemployed citizens wishing to open their own business.

The relevance of this issue increases given that according to the resolution of the Russian Federation Government of December 14, 2009 No 1011 the program of additional measures on self-employment promotion in 2010 will be considerably widened.

The very core of the subject is that unemployed citizens, wishing to open their own business, are registered as entrepreneurs, and if they employ more unemployed citizens, then besides the aid in the amount of 58800 roubles for themselves personally, they receive additional aid of the same amount for each unemployed citizen they employ. In such a way, the amount of money increases, still it is not enough for successful potential business.

This agreement gives possibility to entrepreneurs after they receive state aid to use the services of microfinance centers and credit cooperatives.

Consulting Training «Training for MFIs Associations».

On June 9-11, 2010 the Russian Microfinance Center consulting training «Training for MFIs Associations» was successfully delivered in Tashkent. The training was organized by RMC and the German Organization for Technical Cooperation (GTZ)) for the representatives of MFI Associations - CIS countries. The training was delivered by RMC trainers - Anatoliy Kadrov and Marina Kokhanova (the representatives of the National Union of Organizations of Financial Mutual Support).

During the training the listeners were traditionally involved in collective discussions, team work, role plays, and competition for activity and correct answers.

All participants were divided into three teams by the principle of equal representation of each different republic – Kyrgyzstan, Tadzhikistan, Uzbekistan (6 people in a team of 2 representatives of each republic). Such approach allowed participants of different republics to get better acquainted and provided a possibility to constant exchange of experience between teams at practical tasks and collective discussions.

With the assumption that the representatives of the three republics  mentioned above participated in the training, in fact the forth participant (through the trainers) was also Russia, since Russia's experience (Russian legislation, geography of MFIs Associations in Russia, history of development and formation of MFI and credit cooperatives)  was solicited by the training participants, and very often the summarizing according to statistical data, international experience of MFI development, accepted procedures and rules turned in sections of four republics.

The training participants were prepared listeners. Mostly all of them work in various MFIs Associations in their countries on professional base from 3 to 6 years. However, even for them some topics appeared to be new or not deeply investigated in their associations - therefore they were of keen interest.

The training was also useful for the representatives of Tadzhikistan Banks Association.

The participants noted vast and detailed handouts and trainers' high efficiency.

More information about RMC trainings is available at the RMC website at: www.rmcenter.ru/training/, you may also contact Yelena Zakarzhevskaya - Network and Event Manager at ezakarzhevskaya@rmcenter.ru.

The Current Issue of the Magazine «Microfinance+» is Ready.

We are pleased to inform you that the current issue (No 2(3) (2010)) of the magazine «Microfinance+» is ready. The government support for microfinance is the main topic of this issue. The representatives of power authorities and market participants tell about how support measures are implemented, which participation the government takes in life of microfinance organizations. In this issue you will find materials, devoted to the microfinance market development in various regions of Russia and abroad. Traditionally, the issue contains statement to the law «About credit cooperation». Very useful information about the technical activity of credit cooperatives appeared in the magazine.

The topic of electronic money, rather popular these days at all levels of power in the connection with the development of the legislation concerning the National payment system, was also touched in the issue. We decided to devote the whole next issue of the magazine to the topic of electronic money and we will try to cover it broadly enough.

Early access releases of all magazine issues are available for downloading at the magazine webpage: http://www.rmcenter.ru/projects/magazinemf/.

With all questions concerning the magazine, please, contact RMC Project Manager Olesya Kremneva at okremneva@rmcenter.ru.

Representative Offices' News. Training News.

Yekaterinburg. 2 corporative trainings were successfully delivered in Zarechniy: «Loan Officer Training» on May 26-28 and «Managing Delinquency and Establishing Effective Interest Rates» on June 7-10. RMC representative Yelena Chasovskikh was the trainer. The training was ordered by Sverdlovsk Oblast Fund for SME Support.

Krasnoyarsk. 2 corporative trainings were successfully delivered in Krasnoyarsk: «Loan Officer Training» - on June 16-18, the trainer - Eduard Arytyunyan and «Legal Aspects of Microfinance Activity» - on June 22-25, the trainer - Anna Baitenova. The trainings were delivered on the base of our regional representative office in partnership with the JSC «Krasnoyarsk regional agency on SME support». In the nearest future several new trainings are planned to be delivered in Krasnoyarsk on various aspects of microfinance.

New Representative Office is Open! Summarizing the results of the contest committee on the issue of opening the Russian Microfinance Center representative office in Rostov oblast it was decided to open the Representative Office in Rostov Oblast.

Irkutsk. On June 21-25 within the framework of the joint project with the US RF the training for trainers on financial literacy program was delivered in Irkutsk. Tatyana Dikova was the trainer. The training was delivered with organization support of the Irkutsk Oblast Fund for SME Support.

More information about RMC trainings is available at the RMC website at: www.rmcenter.ru/training/, you may also contact Yelena Zakarzhevskaya - Network and Event Manager at ezakarzhevskaya@rmcenter.ru.

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