2018 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Islamic Microfinance as a Tool for Poverty Alleviation: The Case of Bangladesh and Indonesia
| Project/Area Number |
16K03765
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| Research Institution | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University |
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Principal Investigator |
BARAI Munim 立命館アジア太平洋大学, 国際経営学部, 教授 (50584017)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
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| Keywords | Indonesia / Islamic Microfinance / Financial Inclusiveness / Micro-enterprises / Bangladesh / Operational Mechanism / Microcredit / Poverty Alleviation |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
My research in FY2018 was focused on finding the operational and performance issue of microcredit and Islamic Microfinance of Indonesia. To examine the role of Islamic Microcredit and conventional microcredit in poverty reduction and financial inclusiveness, a field visit was made to Indonesia. During the trip, an in-depth experience survey was conducted amongst academics, small businesses, microenterprises and other users of the product to get a better perspective on the issue. These activities were vital as they also involved a deep discussion and brainstorming with experts and practitioners of Islamic microfinance and beneficiaries of this tool. The efforts have given a clear-cut idea on the social, political and financial institutions in the operational mechanism of Islamic microfinance particularly in Indonesia. Another trip was made to the UK to explore the rapid growth of Islamic Finance in recent years. Based on the findings of the field visits, experience survey and information from secondary sources, I have been able to deliver an International Lecture at the School of Islamic Economics, Indonesia that covered the performance of Islamic Microfinance in Indonesia and generated feedback on the slow growth of Islamic Microfinance. All these research activities have given a solid theoretical and practical foundation to write research papers on the comparative position of Islamic Microfinance and its role in poverty reduction and financial inclusion in both the societies, Indonesia and Bangladesh, for which the research has been conducted.
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