May 3, 2005 - Washington, DC. GDLN, in cooperation with the Central American Network of Microfinance Institutions (REDCAMIF), and the Private Sector Development unit of the Latin America and Caribbean Region of the World Bank is launching a series of Global Dialogues on Microfinance topics.

Access to capital for micro, small and medium enterprises is a critical subject. In order to generate employment, those enterprises need a variety of financial services which have not been available in Central America until very recently. It is now that microfinance institutions are experimenting with new financial services such as leasing.

The first dialogue, "Leasing for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises in Central America", will take place on May 5, 2005, with the goal of sharing experiences on the implementation of leasing projects in other parts of the world, explaining the concept of leasing, and how to design lending products that fit into the legal framework of Central American countries. The speakers for the dialogue will be Claudia Álvarez (World Bank, Washington), Marco Aurelio González Revatta (IFC, Managua) and Sandra Broka (World Bank, Washington). There will be participants from Central American countries participating through the GDLN network.

A second dialogue, “Microcredit for Progressive Housing in Central America”, will be held on June 16, 2005.

For more information about the series of Global Dialogues, please contact Daniel de la Morena (LCRKM): ddelamorena@worldbank.org

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