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Understanding and Identifying Indebtedness and Over-Indebtedness
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For one segment of the population, the only way to survive is to go deeper and deeper into debt. The level of poverty and imprisonment in the cycle of debt is such that there is no other solution. At best, microfinance can help slow down this cycle, but it is not the solution to reversing the tendency.
Financial and technical constraints prevent MFIs from tackling the issue of over-indebtedness. They have neither the solidity nor the flexibility that would allow them to meet with such cases or to deal with them on a long-term basis. New ideas, services and modes of organization are needed.
On October 26th, 2006, INAFI India is organizing a national conference on “Microfinance § Debt-Swap for the Poor.” The purpose of this conference is to look at the different aspects of usury and how microfinance services can address the problem through a debt-swap process.
In order to prepare for the conference in Delhi, the French Institute of Pondicherry organizes a workshop on October 4th and 5th on the following topic: "Understanding and Identifying Indebtedness and Over-Indebtedness."
The objective is to get a better understanding of the workings of indebtedness and over-indebtedness, and to elaborate methodologies for an identification of the populations that are highly indebted or at risk. Only a good understanding of the problem (Which populations are dealing with over-indebtedness? Why and how did they end up in this situation?) will allow for realistic and effective solutions to debt-trap problem (financial services or any other action).
This workshop will bring together NGO staff members, bankers and researchers with experience in identification, data collection, micro-economic surveys on the household economy at the micro-level and especially on indebtedness.
The following points will be addressed:
- What are the key components of debt?
- What criteria/indicators could be used to analyse the diversity of debts?
- How can we define over-indebtedness?
- What are the workings of indebtedness and over-indebtedness?
- How can we identify over-indebted people and people at risk?
- How can we analyse the impact of various sources of credit (including microfinance) on the household budget and financial strategies (including their indebtedness)?
The FIP workshop is particularly interested in households and the role debt plays in the household economy. The conclusions drawn from this workshop could be presented at the conference in Delhi.
Programme Schedule
Wednesday, 4th October 2006
| 14.00 | Welcome / Tea |
| 14.30 | Dr Isabelle Guerin, IRD/IFP: presentation of the workshop, aims and schedule |
| 15.00 | Father Antonisamy, HRFC : tackling over-indebtedness : HRFC experience |
| 15.30 | Discussion |
| 16.00 | Siva Kumar, MLA : legislation on debt and money- lending |
| 16.30 | Discussion |
| 16.45 | Tea break |
| 17.00 | Dr Marc Roesch , IFP : Assets, debts and microfinance |
| 17.30 | Discussion |
| 18.00 | End |
| 19.00 | Cocktail/Dinner |
Thursday, 5th October 2006
| 9.00 | Ophelie Helies, IFP : Financial markets and household strategies. |
| 9.30 | Discussion |
| 10.30 | Tea break |
| 11.00 | Dr SUNIL, Consultant, Microfinance expert : Concepts, Aspects and Possible Ways out |
| 11.30 | Discussion |
| 11.45 | Dr Rengarajan, Consultant,Microfinance expert: Debt syndrome- Searching definitions for the concept of indebtedness and over-indebtedness |
| 12.15 | M Savarimuthu, DGM Indian Bank : relations between Banks, NGOs, governments and SHGs |
| 13.00 | Lunch |
| 14.30 | Round table: how to identify the population at risk, how to treat over-indebtedness and how to prevent over-indebtedness |
| 16.30 | Tea break |
| 17.00 | Conclusion and recommendations |
| 17.30 | End of the workshop |
Participants
- M.Aloysius (Pondicherry Multi-Social Service Society)
- Father Antonisamy (Human Rights - First the Child,Pondicherry)
- E.Bertotti (NCCO)
- Chandrasekaran (Indian Bank)
- R.Desai (BASIX Hyderabad)
- S.Ephrem (South Indian Federation of Fisherman Societies, Trivandrum)
- C.Fouillet (IFP)
- Father F.M Francis (Human Rights - First the Child, Pondicherry)
- M.Francis (Human Rights - First the Child,Pondicherry)
- Govindarajan (Bullock-Cart Workers Development Association, Mailam)
- I.Guerin (IFP)
- O.Helies (IFP)
- C.Jauzelon (IFP)
- M.Jayaseelan (Madras Social Service Society, Chennai)
- R.Karthikeyan (Centre For Community Development-NMO)
- S.Kumar, MLA
- K.S.S Kumar (IFP)
- H.Lefebvre (IFP)
- A.Liguori (Human Rights - First the Child)
- M.Mahendiran (Centre For Community Development-NMO)
- M.Maignan (IFP)
- S.Ponnarasu (IFP)
- Ravichandran (Bullock-Cart Workers Development Association, Villupuram)
- M.Rengarajan (Consultant)
- M.Roesch (IFP)
- S.Selvinithya (BLESS Cuddalore)
- P.Stephen (Integrated Rural Community Development Society, Tiruvallur)
- Sunil (Internet Institute for Human Development, Delhi )
- J. Thambi ( Bullock-Cart Workers Development Association, Villupuram)
- Varangaran (Indian Bank)
- G.Venkatasubramanian (IFP)
Venue
Jawaharlal Nehru Conference Hall, French Institute of Pondicherry, 11, Saint Louis Street, Pondicherry - 605001
Organizers
Department of Social Sciences, French Institute of Pondicherry
Latest addition : 9 April 2007.