Juba, South Sudan, November 15, 2013 –
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, today announced progress with South Sudan’s Central Bank and the South Sudan Bankers’ Association in training market professionals to help increase access to finance for smaller businesses in the country so they can expand and enter new markets.
The three organizations recently hosted two events attended by representatives from South Sudanese banks that aimed to help banks work more efficiently with micro, small and medium enterprises. The events were part of IFC’s strategy to promote private sector growth in South Sudan, by building the capacity of South Sudan’s banks to increase their lending to smaller businesses.
John Dor Majok, Deputy Governor for Bank of South Sudan, said, “The private sector is the engine of growth, and it must have access to finance if it can fulfill its role. IFC is helping sensitize South Sudan’s financial institutions to look into this issue seriously.”
Oumar Seydi, IFC Director for East and Southern Africa, said, “IFC is committed to helping South Sudan develop its private sector and is working with public and private sector partners in the country to increase access to finance for smaller businesses. These training events are part of IFC’s strategy to help South Sudan build a strongeconomy and a stable and prosperous future.”
An agriculture finance training event introduced participants to the basics of agriculture finance, risk management, and innovation in the sector. A small and medium enterprise training event provided information on SME banking models, credit risk management for SME lending, and other tools and methods related to SME banking, with a special focus on women.
Access to finance is a major constraint to economic growth in South Sudan, where only about 2 percent of the population has access to formal financial services, and access to banking services outside Juba is very limited.
The training events were attended by about 50 operational staff and decision makers from 17 banks. The events were organized by IFC’s Access to Finance Business Line and supported by IFC’s Conflict Affected States in Africa Initiative (CASA), which supports private sector growth in nine conflict affected countries in Sub Saharan Africa.
About IFC
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector. Working with private enterprises in more than 100 countries, we use our capital, expertise, and influence to help eliminate extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity. In FY13, our investments climbed to an all-time high of nearly $25 billion, leveraging the power of the private sector to create jobs and tackle the world’s most pressing development challenges. For more information, visit
www.ifc.org
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