Assessing credit needs of the rural poor in Lao PDR : a case study of two villages in Thakhek District

Author: Choulaphone Sayasene

AIT Library Call Number: AIT RSPR no.RD-07-02

Year: 2007

Academic Program: Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP)

Type: Research Studies Project Report (M.Sc.) – Asian Institute of Technology, 2007

Examination Committee: Jayant Kumar Routray (Chairperson); Soparth Pongquan, Mokbul Morshed Ahmad (Examination Committee Members)

Abstract: This research deals with the assessing credit needs of the rural poor in Thakhek district, Khammouane Province in the Central of Lao PDR. The main objectives of the research are to study the credit needs of the poor for different purposes to study capacity of the credit institutions, their delivery mechanism and performance to identify the problems of the borrower and credit institutions, and to provide recommendations in order to meet the credit needs of the poor. The scope of this study is focused on the formal institutions such as VIP Project under ADP Program delivering microcredits over last 5 years. The research has been conducted with 50 sampled credit member households, who are involved in agriculture activities. Two villages are selected in order to have adequate number of samples or households who have availed credit. The purpose is not to make a comparative study. To measure this, the analysis has been done based on data collected through households’ surveys, interviews, observations, and discussions with credit member households and key informants involved in the projects. The research focused both on qualitative and quantitative analysis. Main finding of this research is that rural households require more credit for investment in agriculture production due to limited credit for each of activities from the credit institutions or microcredit projects. However, most of the rural people are satisfied (100%) with credit delivery mechanism and performance of the project through increased opportunities for employment, incomes, agriculture output, and health care. In addition, rural poor need credit not only for agriculture and non-agriculture purposes but also for consumption, for daily needs, to compensate for lack of knowledge and skills that affect productivity, and for solving problems due to natural disasters. It is finding also found that, the credit was provided initially without interest rate. To meet the emergencies and sustainable, the interest rate was fixed by the village committee from 3-7%

Scholarship Donor(s): Sweden (Sida)

Note: A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Regional and Rural Development Planning

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Search keywords index: Choulaphone Sayasene Assessing credit needs of the rural poor in Lao PDR : a case study of two villages in Thakhek District Regional and Rural Development Planning (RRDP) Rural poor — Finance — Evaluation — Laos;”Microfinance — Laos”;