KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Jamaica Micro Financing Association (JaMFA) is to stage a National Microfinancing Conference on Thursday to look at a number of issues facing the sector.

The objective of the conference will be to provide opportunities for Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) and wider microfinance sector stakeholders to seek to address some of the major issues of concern to them.

Speakers including Minister of Finance and Planning Audley Shaw and Opposition spokesman on Industry and Commerce Anthony Hylton will address issues such as: The challenges in funding MSMEs; Credit Bureaus and the Opportunity for Better Loan Assessment; Debanking Crises and its implications for MFIs’; Source of Funds Protocol; and the Debanking Crises – MFIs Establishing Internal Compliance Departments.

The conference will be held at the Jamaica Pegasus in New Kingston between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm under the theme, “MFIs Preparing for the Challenges Ahead”.

Jamaica’s microfinance landscape is served by three main wholesale lenders; the Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ); the Micro Investment Development Agency (MIDA); and Pan-Caribbean Trust.

JaMFA, which was established in 2008, has since led the charge in establishing a structure for MFIs.