IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ibn/jasjnl/v7y2015i8p44.html

Microcredit and Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of Microfinance Fund for Community Development in Northern Vietnam

Author

Listed:
  • Do Xuan Luan

Abstract

Like other developing countries, microcredit in Vietnam has been recognized as an important credit source of the poor, who need capital but are normally by-passed by commercial banks. However, the provision of credit to the poor is challenged by the existing tradeoff between depth of outreach and financial sustainability. In this study, Principal Component Analysis and Propensity Score Matching were used to assess whether microcredit reaches the poor and its role in poverty reduction. The Microfinance Fund and Community Development (MFCD), a microfinance institution in Northern Vietnam was selected as a case study. The research has shown that microcredit successfully reaches the poor households as 67% of credit recipients belong to the last three bottom groups. The observed poverty targeting is consistent with the mission of the microfinance institution. In addition, the provision of microcredit has positive but statistically insignificant impact on household income and expenditure. This study suggests that unless access to additional resources should be made available to the poor, a small amount of credit alone could be insufficient to reduce poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Do Xuan Luan, 2015. "Microcredit and Poverty Reduction: A Case Study of Microfinance Fund for Community Development in Northern Vietnam," Journal of Agricultural Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 7(8), pages 1-44, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:ibn:jasjnl:v:7:y:2015:i:8:p:44
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jas/article/download/48102/27364
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jas/article/view/48102
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Khoi, Phan Dinh & Gan, Christopher & Nartea, Gilbert V. & Cohen, David A., 2013. "Formal and informal rural credit in the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam: Interaction and accessibility," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 26(C), pages 1-13.
    2. Richard Blundell & Monica Costa Dias, 2009. "Alternative Approaches to Evaluation in Empirical Microeconomics," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 44(3).
    3. Carla Henry & Manohar Sharma & Cecile Lapenu & Manfred Zeller, 2003. "Microfinance Poverty Assessment Tool," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 15065, April.
    4. Brehanu, Amare & Fufa, Bekabil, 2008. "Repayment rate of loans from semi-formal financial institutions among small-scale farmers in Ethiopia: Two-limit Tobit analysis," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 2221-2230, December.
    5. Dufhues, Thomas & Buchenrieder, Gertrud, 2005. "Outreach of credit institutes and households' access constraints to formal credit in Northern Vietnam," Research in Development Economics and Policy (Discussion Paper Series) 8535, Universitaet Hohenheim, Department of Agricultural Economics and Social Sciences in the Tropics and Subtropics.
    6. Okten, Cagla & Osili, Una Okonkwo, 2004. "Social Networks and Credit Access in Indonesia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(7), pages 1225-1246, July.
    7. Li, Xia & Gan, Christopher & Hu, Baiding, 2011. "Accessibility to microcredit by Chinese rural households," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 235-246, June.
    8. Yuan, Yan & Xu, Lihe, 2015. "Are poor able to access the informal credit market? Evidence from rural households in China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 232-246.
    9. Deon Filmer & Lant Pritchett, 2001. "Estimating Wealth Effects Without Expenditure Data—Or Tears: An Application To Educational Enrollments In States Of India," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 38(1), pages 115-132, February.
    10. Jane Hopkins & Carol Levin & Lawrence Haddad, 1994. "Women's Income and Household Expenditure Patterns: Gender or Flow? Evidence from Niger," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 76(5), pages 1219-1225.
    11. Huber, Martin & Lechner, Michael & Wunsch, Conny, 2013. "The performance of estimators based on the propensity score," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 175(1), pages 1-21.
    12. Asad K. Ghalib, 2011. "Estimating the depth of microfinance programme outreach: empirical findings from rural Pakistan," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 15411, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    13. Coleman, Brett E., 1999. "The impact of group lending in Northeast Thailand," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 105-141, October.
    14. Bauchet, Jonathan & Morduch, Jonathan, 2013. "Is Micro too Small? Microcredit vs. SME Finance," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 288-297.
    15. Amin, Sajeda & Rai, Ashok S. & Topa, Giorgio, 2003. "Does microcredit reach the poor and vulnerable? Evidence from northern Bangladesh," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(1), pages 59-82, February.
    16. Imbens,Guido W. & Rubin,Donald B., 2015. "Causal Inference for Statistics, Social, and Biomedical Sciences," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521885881, November.
    17. Coleman, Brett E., 2006. "Microfinance in Northeast Thailand: Who benefits and how much?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 34(9), pages 1612-1638, September.
    18. Marco Caliendo & Sabine Kopeinig, 2008. "Some Practical Guidance For The Implementation Of Propensity Score Matching," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(1), pages 31-72, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ta Nhat Linh & Hoang Thanh Long & Le Van Chi & Le Thanh Tam & Philippe Lebailly, 2019. "Access to Rural Credit Markets in Developing Countries, the Case of Vietnam: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Liqiong Lin & Weizhuo Wang & Christopher Gan & David A. Cohen & Quang T.T Nguyen, 2019. "Rural Credit Constraint and Informal Rural Credit Accessibility in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(7), pages 1-20, April.
    3. Vu Ha Thu & Daisaku Goto, 2020. "Does Microfinance Improve the Household Welfare of Ethnic Minorities? Evidence from Bac Kan Province, Vietnam," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 20(1), pages 65-83, January.
    4. Do Xuan Luan & Nguyen Thanh Vu & Kieu Thi Thu Huong & Duong Hang & Siegfried Bauer, 2016. "Is Access to Agribank Credit an Effective Tool in Improving Household Income? Evidence from the Northern Mountainous Region of Vietnam," Asian Social Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(8), pages 110-110, August.
    5. Paramasivam Ramasamy & Umanath Malaiarasan, 2023. "Agricultural credit in India: determinants and effects," Indian Economic Review, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 169-195, June.
    6. Thanh, Pham Tien & Saito, Katsuhiro & Duong, Pham Bao, 2019. "Impact of microcredit on rural household welfare and economic growth in Vietnam," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 120-139.
    7. Marco Caliendo & Stefan Tübbicke, 2020. "New evidence on long-term effects of start-up subsidies: matching estimates and their robustness," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 1605-1631, October.
    8. Dang, Le Phuong Xuan & Hoang, Viet-Ngu & Nghiem, Son Hong & Wilson, Clevo, 2023. "Social networks with organisational resource, generalised trust and informal loans: Evidence from rural Vietnam," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 388-402.
    9. Khan, Md Faisal Abedin & Uddin, Md Sazib & Giessen, Lukas, 2021. "Microcredit expansion and informal donor interests: Experiences from local NGOs in the Sundarbans Mangrove Forest, Bangladesh," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 21(C).
    10. Deininger, Klaus & Liu, Yanyan, 2013. "Economic and Social Impacts of an Innovative Self-Help Group Model in India," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 149-163.
    11. Toshio Kondo & Aniceto Orbeta Jr. & Clarence Dingcong & Christine Infantado, 2008. "Impact of Microfinance on Rural Households in the Philippines," Development Economics Working Papers 22639, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    12. Erhardt, Eva, 2017. "Microfinance beyond self-employment: Evidence for firms in Bulgaria," MPRA Paper 79294, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Bappaditya Mukhopadhyay & Sambit Rath, 2011. "Role of MFIs in Financial Inclusion," Review of Market Integration, India Development Foundation, vol. 3(3), pages 243-286, December.
    14. Hisaki KONO & Kazushi TAKAHASHI, 2010. "Microfinance Revolution: Its Effects, Innovations, And Challenges," The Developing Economies, Institute of Developing Economies, vol. 48(1), pages 15-73, March.
    15. Shahidur R. Khandker & Hussain A. Samad, 2014. "Microfinance Growth and Poverty Reduction in Bangladesh: What Does the Longitudinal Data Say?," Bangladesh Development Studies, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), vol. 37(1-2), pages 127-157.
    16. Erlend E. Bø & Elin Halvorsen & Thor O. Thoresen, 2019. "Heterogeneity of the Carnegie Effect," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 54(3), pages 726-759.
    17. Khac Linh Bui & Thanh Hang Bui, 2022. "Does Rural Credit Mediate Vulnerability Under Idiosyncratic and Covariate Shocks? Empirical Evidence from Vietnam Using a Multilevel Model," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 34(1), pages 172-224, February.
    18. Luan, D. X. & Bauer, S. & Kuhl, R., . "Income Impacts of Credit on Accessed Households in Rural Vietnam: Do Various Credit Sources Perform Differently?," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 8(01), pages 1-11.
    19. Le Phuong Xuan Dang & Viet-Ngu Hoang & Son Hong Nghiem & Clevo Wilson, 2023. "Social capital and informal credit access: empirical evidence from a Vietnamese household panel survey," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 311-340, July.
    20. Ta Nhat Linh & Dang Anh Tuan & Phan Thu Trang & Hoang Trung Lai & Do Quynh Anh & Nguyen Viet Cuong & Philippe Lebailly, 2020. "Determinants of Farming Households’ Credit Accessibility in Rural Areas of Vietnam: A Case Study in Haiphong City, Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-16, May.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R00 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General - - - General
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ibn:jasjnl:v:7:y:2015:i:8:p:44. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Canadian Center of Science and Education (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cepflch.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.