Andhra Pradesh MFI Crisis and its Impact on Clients

• by Ghiyazuddin Mohammad
• Aug 27, 2012
• 1 min
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This paper features findings related to multiple borrowing, household indebtedness, loan purpose and client perspectives on availability of financing. Both studies validate the fact that the members of the community face issues raising credit in the absence of MFIs.

This is a joint report focussing the impact of microfinance among the clients before and after the Andhra Pradesh crisis arising from the Andhra Pradesh Microfinance Institutions (Regulation of Money lending) Act, 2010. The report highlights the similar findings from quantitative study conducted by the Centre for Microfinance (CMF) at IFMR Research and qualitative study conducted by MicroSave. This paper features findings related to multiple borrowing, household indebtedness, loan purpose and client perspectives on availability of financing. Both studies validate the fact that the members of the community face issues raising credit in the absence of MFIs. Members of the community have reduced their spending on important aspects such as health, education and business because of non availability of adequate credit from alternative sources. Moneylenders are having a field day with the absence of MFIs. Members of the community are falling back to moneylenders who charge usurious rates of interest to meet their credit needs. The study also highlights the failure of MFIs when designing market led products and processes. MFIs, in the process of rapid scale up and single minded pursuit of exponential growth targets, ignored the needs of the clients. The study clearly shows the discomfort of the clients with inflexible repayments, interest rates and behaviour of the staff especially when it comes to repayment.