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book. Establishment of the platform in Bangladesh would benefit micro-finance institutions (MFIs), the government, the private sector, and the microfinance clients and their families, among others. The availability of an integrated financial system would provide the government and regula-tors with a basis by which to strategically intervene and provide support to sections of the society that need it.
Stakeholders within the microfinance industry in Bangladesh are all interested in having this platform established. As indicated in the criteria for the host institution, there is a need to have a neutral, transparent, and cred-ible party that is able to offer information and communication technology (ICT) services targeted to the microfinance industry. There are apex insti-tutions and networks that could champion this effort in Bangladesh.
Ultimately, the institutions championing this effort need to ensure that the recommended centralized ICT platform and the proposed public- private partnership arrangements actually take place.
A number of microfinance institutions in Bangladesh have tried to acquire in-house management information systems (MISs), but they have proven either ineffective or too expensive. Despite the failures thus far, the findings of this study show that the stakeholders within the microfinance industry would like the ICT platform to be established and that they recognize the immense benefits that they would receive from such an intervention.
The Bangladesh Bank also welcomes the idea of a centralized ICT plat-form. Its leaders realize that with the enactment of the Microcredit Regulatory Authority Act, the regulatory authority will need on-time and online data and information about the health of the MFIs in order to reduce costs as they carry out regulatory functions. The on-time informa-tion and increased transparency that is expected to result from the imple-mentation of a centralized ICT platform will also help the Bangladesh Bank benchmark MFIs and therefore enhance the speed at which these institutions can be modernized and then integrated into the formal finan-cial sector. With better information about the finanfinan-cial health and actual extent of outreach of these institutions and their services, the government will be able to intervene strategically with policy initiatives that can eas-ily be translated into workable solutions on the ground. The government will also be able to utilize the extensive coverage of these institutions to fulfill portions of its own mandate, such as transparent safety net pay-ments and management.
The Institute of Microfinance, which was recently established with support from the Department for International Development (DFID), is
currently trying to work with the networks and the microfinance regula-tory authority to begin collecting and collating data in a professional man-ner and appreciates the fact that a centralized ICT platform would make this exercise much easier, as it would link the players with the users of their information, thereby enabling timely feedback.
Analysis of the policy and regulatory environment for this book was developed by examining the microfinance sector, the financial sector, and ICT regulations. No microfinance, financial sector, or ICT regulations were found to prevent the operationalization of the proposed microfi-nance platform. Going forward, the regulatory space would benefit from further embracing and facilitating new financial sector infrastructure through the centralized ICT platform, with the aim of achieving univer-sal access to formal finance in Bangladesh. Recent technology spectrum license developments open promising avenues for financial services appli-cations to reach the poor. Regulatory areas that could be addressed to leverage the microfinance platform include nonbank payment systems, consumer protection regulations, and strengthening of microfinance reg-ulatory oversight.
Specific Recommendations
Several specific recommendations related to the development and imple-mentation of a central microfinance ICT platform in Bangladesh came out of the analysis conducted for this book.
Identify Phases of Development
The costing of the platform was done according to a nine-year implemen-tation period and its implemenimplemen-tation divided into three phases of three years each. The first three years will cost $8.78 million, and the second phase will cost $17.40 million. During year six, the platform will break even and start making money. The total amount of revenue in the last three years will be $87.15 million, indicating that this is a viable proposition for microfinance stakeholders in Bangladesh. It is recommended that the plat-form starts with a pilot set of MFIs and on this basis create a robust plan to scale up operations of the centralized ICT platform nationally over a well-defined period of time, as has been proposed in this report.
Set Up the Operational Framework Correctly at the Start
Even though development of the central ICT platform may be done in stages, it is important to set up the overall operational framework in a
proper way from the very beginning. If the framework lacks scalability or neutrality, ramping up the platform’s operations and successfully convinc-ing MFIs to use the platform will be difficult in the long run.
Rely on Common, Off-the-Shelf Technology Solutions
Because lower cost is one of the main elements of a central ICT platform, it is important to rely on common, off-the-shelf technology components in building it. Such solutions would adhere to industry standards, provide lower costs due to economies of scale, and provide standard interfaces that would allow components from different vendors to connect with one another.
Rely on Outsourced Solutions
The institution hosting the centralized ICT platform may want to out-source technology development and operations and management in a way that allows costs to be minimized. The host institution, however, may wish to retain human resource functions that are core competencies for operating the centralized ICT platform and to outsource development and administration functions.
Establish Memorandums of Understanding for Access to Data
The security of confidential data of each MFI is an essential element of the centralized ICT platform. In order to ensure such security, MFIs must prepare memorandums of understanding with the government, the finan-cial sector, and the private sector that allow each entity to have access to limited information that has been agreed upon. The institution hosting the centralized ICT platform must then ensure that the memorandums of understanding are strictly enforced.
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