Problem today in Finland -- Is Mobile Banking Really Reducing Poverty?

I just want to share with you the latest phoneme here in Finland.

Some money lenders are now using Mobile Phone SMS messages to
borrow money. Amounts are from 100 to 1000 Euros. Duration
for loan can be 14 days, or 21 + 21 days or 30 days.
Example if you borrow by SMS message 200 Euros for 21 + 21 days
(after 21 days you pay back 125 Euros and after an other 21 days
also 125 Euros. So you pay back total 250 Euros.

If you calculate the annual rate of this loan, it is 298 % 

So it is extremely profitable to the loaner.  

The problem is, that it is easy to get a loan. But for many the 
payback can be a challenge. Specially many young people are
now in trap.

This quick loan by mobile phone SMS can help if you can pay it back
in time.

Br. Lauri

>-----Original Message-----
>From: public-mw4d-request@w3.org 
>[mailto:public-mw4d-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of ext Raul Zambrano
>Sent: 03 November, 2008 17:43
>To: public-mw4d@w3.org
>Subject: Is Mobile Banking Really Reducing Poverty?
>
>This might be of intesest to all.
>
>>From MobileActive
>
>---- Is Mobile Banking Really Reducing Poverty? 
>Transferring money via mobile phones can save days of travel 
>for workers in cities who send money home to families in rural 
>villages. Mobile payments are also often cheaper and more 
>secure than relying on informal brokers or carrying cash 
>personally, and they have the potential to change markets by 
>making small business-to-business transactions immediate and 
>more reliable.
>http://www.sdnp.undp.org/perl/news/articles.pl?id=10573&do=gpage
>
>
>Cheers, Raul
>___________________________________________________________________
>Raśl Zambrano					304 East 45 
>Street                    
>Senior Policy Advisor			 	10th Floor	
>ICT & Governance				New York, NY 10017
>UNDP/BDP/DGG					212 906-6654
>raul@undp.org					212 906-6952 (Fax)
>

Received on Monday, 3 November 2008 22:29:51 UTC