Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The main objective of Dutch development cooperation is poverty reduction, thus contributing directly or indirectly to the welfare and wellbeing of the poor.
Dutch development activities are increasingly being programmed with a view to attaining the Millennium Development Goals, and thus to achieving concrete results in relation to extreme poverty and hunger, education, health, nutrition, gender equity and environment.

Improved access to financial services is a part of the economic agenda, which seeks to foster pro-poor economic development. The aim is to improve living conditions for the poor, reducing their vulnerability by protecting them from certain risks and giving them choices, and enabling local social and economic development. Strengthening the formal and informal financial sectors at various levels, involving different sectors of society and establishing possible linkages between them, is one of the challenges.

Seen from the perspective of the poor, the development of adequate local retail capacity will continue to remain a crucial factor. Availability of reliable information, which includes financial and social data and performance figures, is a prerequisite for scaling up operations. Promoting financial products and services for the poor and integrating them into the overall financial system will have implications for the appropriate policy, legal and regulatory environment.

Additional information:

• www.minbuza.nl
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