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Structure and Governance

The BWTP Network is defined in its constitution as

"...a not-for-profit, regional association of organisations committed to improving the quality of life of the poor through promoting and facilitating access for the poor to credit, savings instruments and other financial services through linkages between financial sector institutions (such as commercial banks), NGOs and SHGs".

Its mission is to:

• Promote the growth of self-help groups of the poor,
• Increase access of the poor to financial services by means of sustainable linkages between financial institutions (such as commercial banks) and NGOs and self-help groups of the poor,
• Influence the policies and practices of governments, monetary authorities, financial sector institutions and NGOs through research, advocacy, policy dialogue, awareness-building and information-sharing. These will be conducted through seminars, workshops and other means,
• Provide Network members with access to information that increases their knowledge about best practice in microfinance service provision, capacity-building and technological upgrading for institutions engaged in Banking with the Poor, and
• Document and demonstrate the successes and lessons learned in microfinance provision achieved by Network members as a means of improving policy and practice in the field more generally.

There are currently 20 members of the Network. These include 10 NGOs which are directly engaged in the provision of microfinance services (including both financial and social intermediaries), 7 commercial banks and corporations engaged in microfinance, two national policy institutions with responsibilities including microfinance, and one support/training organisation.

The Network is governed by an executive committee, which sets broad policy guidelines and operational plans for the Network. The executive committee consists of five members: one from a national policy institution, one from a commercial bank, one from an NGO, one at-large seat and one from the Network secretariat.

The Banking with the Poor Network (www.bwtp.org) has held recent elections in which 60% of the members voted to elect a new Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is the governing body of the BWTP Network and has the authority to manage the affairs of the BWTP Network.

The new Executive Committee members elected in August 2008 are:

1.       Mr. Chandula Abeywickrema, (Chariman) Deputy General Manager - Personal Banking, Hatton National Bank, Sri Lanka,
2.       Mr. Ruben C. de Lara, Executive Director, TSPI Development Corporation, Philippines
3.       Mr. Nimal Mamaduwa, SANASA Development Bank, Indonesia 
4.       Mrs. Nani Zulminarni, Chair person, PPSW (Center for Women's Resources Development), Indonesia
5.       Mrs. Syeda Obaida Haque, The Shakti Foundation for Disadvantaged Women, Bangladesh
6.       Md. Abdul Awal, the Credit and Development Forum, Bangladesh
7.       The BWTP Network Secretariat is located at The Foundation for Development Cooperation (Singapore), Singapore.