China looks set to see a boom in access to finance since the passage in 2007 of the Property Rights Law. Last week, the Financial Times reported on the newfound ability of farmers to monetise their land. Some farmers are selling to larger, more efficient companies, while others are taking advantage of the opportunity to use their land as collateral:
For those who are excited by new datasets (come on, I know you're out there...), these last few weeks have been a bonanza. One month ago, the World Bank Group released the Financial Infrastructure report, which provides cross-country measurements of core financial institutions such as credit bureaus and payment systems.
As I blogged about not too long ago, public universities around the world are facing serious pressures due to the financial crisis. Perhaps the moment is ripe for reform—when the fiscal situation gets tough, it can help make possible what only recently seemed unimaginable.
My friends over at CGAP want to hear from you. Last year the gurus of microfinance redesigned their website, and now they want to know what you think about it. Compliments? Complaints? Quizzical faces? Fill out their brief survey (anonymously, of course).
Amidst the flurry of activity at the joint World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings, one initiative was announced that probably won't grab as much attention as the IMF's most recent World Economic Outlook or Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn's agile dodging of a flying shoe.
Last week saw an all-day event at the World Bank on Mobile Innovations for Social and Economic Transformation. The sessions covered the use of mobile phones in everything from governance to education.
Roger Goodman of Moody's credit rating agency has a prediction:
With policies of limiting enrollment places and tuition fees, market pressure to add capacity, and government funding unlikely to increase, Moody’s expects unprecedented pressure on the current financial model of public universities.
