An empirical analysis of Thai village funds and saving groups’ financial performance

Abstract

Microfinance institutions (MFIs) play an important role in enabling poor households to escape poverty. MFIs cannot help borrowers if their own performance is poor. This study evaluates financial performance of Village Funds (VFs) and Saving Groups for Production (SGPs) to determine how well the MFIs are performing financially and how to improve the institutions’ future performances. The study evaluates MFIs’ performance, including MFI characteristics, outreach, productivity, financial structure and financial performance. Data are collected from the annual reports of MFIs between 2014 and 2016. VF and SGP annual reports were collected by the Government Savings Bank between 2014 and 2016. Data are analyzed using descriptive statistics, such as means, to compare the VFs’ and SGPs’ performance. The result shows that SGPs are bigger than VFs in terms of the average number of members and borrowers. However, VFs provide more loans than SGPs to poorer clients. In terms of loan management, SGP staff are more efficient than VF staff. SGPs’ profits are significantly higher than VFs’ profits. In the context of financial structure, SGPs are funded through member deposits, while VFs receive government subsidies. The results indicate that both VFs and SGPs are profitable and financially sustainable.

The Village Fund Program and Indonesia’s 18th Sustainable Development Goal: A Bibliometric and Content Study

“…VF is a budget decentralization scheme that supports local government programs in poverty alleviation [10,38]. VF has implications for reducing the poverty rate even though it only has an effect of 12.7% [1]; it plays an important role in enabling poor households to escape poverty [90]. Rural economic resilience related to resilience, adaptation, and ability in poverty alleviation increases rural economic resilience due to government efforts to increase production factors, optimize economic structure and expand rural areas [91].…”

Sustainability of Microfinance Institutions in Thailand

“…The study finds that the breadth of outreach indicators is associated with financial performance and financial sustainability. Hemtanon and Gan's (2020) evaluation of the financial performance of VFs and SGPs in Thailand shows that these MFIs are profitable and financially sustainable. These previous studies notwithstanding, there is limited research on factors affecting the sustainability of Thai MFIs.…”