Microfinance Foreign Exchange Facilities: Performance and Prospects

Foreign capital investment in microfinance has been booming over the past four years. Commercial cross-border debt and equity invested in microfinance surpassed US$11 billion in 2009, representing an estimated 20 percent of the funding base for specialized microfinance providers. Foreign investment brings important benefits for microfinance institutions (MFIs). It can provide longer term debt maturity and risk capital that often is not available in the local market, but it can come with a significant string attached: foreign exchange risk.