Development trends of microfinancing in Russia

World history of modern microfinance goes back to four decades, and the scale of the industry counts hundreds of millions of customers, but in Russia this segment of the financial market has entered a period of its intensive growth.

In recent years laws on microfinance institutions and credit cooperatives were adopted, modern regulation of the national payment system creates a legal framework for the development of new sectors of the economy and the high demand for financial services by entrepreneurs and the wider population forms the public inquiry, which is to meet with the appropriate quality level can only be a strong and sustainable financial industry. [1]

Dominant provider of financial services to the population was and remains in Russia's banking sector. It accounts for the bulk of lending and accepting deposits from savings, payments and transfers. However, the banking sector is unable to fully meet the needs of all segments of the population in financial services – this requires new forms of financial institutions. [2]

Today microfinance is not only lending, it services, attracting deposits, insurance, remittances, etc., and the microfinance sector includes public and non-profit organizations, savings and credit cooperatives, other non-Bank financial institutions. However, in practice, most microfinance involves the provision of short-term loan for a small amount to customers with low income or limited ability to obtain a Bank loan. Preimushestvenno of microfinance institutions (MFIs) is the simplicity of the process of obtaining the loan: short term loan application, fast processing of documents, individual approach to the client's business.

The reasons for the complaints of citizens and small businesses to microfinance institutions consist of the following: insufficient level of solvency to obtain bank loans, lack of collateral or low quality of collateral, high levels of existing credit load. [3]

As a rule, MFIs present to potential borrowers less stringent requirements than banks, and provide loans to newly-formed companies.

In Russia at the beginning of 2016. there are more than 3,5 thousand companies that are engaged in microfinance. In 2015 in the state were enrolled 657 1 MFO (1 102 excluded) At the end of 2015, the portfolio of microloans MFIs increased by 25% (vs. 28% a year earlier) and reached about 63 billion rubles. [4]

To date, a certain legal base, which is the development of microfinance in Russia, but many elements of the process of microfinance in need of serious changes.

With the adoption of the law on microfinance (article 151-FZ) we developed a rather detailed legal regulation of the microfinance. but at the same time, the law was not determined by economic essence of the activity, vkluchaya arrangements for the provision of microloans, and has developed the basic requirements for borrowers. [5]

In connection with the changes which came into effect from 29.03.2016 to the Law № 151 "On microfinance and microfinance institutions, microfinance organizations were divided into two different categories — the micro-Finance company (IFC) and a micro-credit company. These organizations have formed various opportunities to work with people and companies. The idea of the Central Bank, which initiated the amendments, the first category of companies should focus on working with small businesses, and the second with individuals. IFC loans amounting to 1 million rubles, and a micro-credit company is only worth up to 500 thousand rubles. At the same time lend using the Internet can only IFC.

From micro-Finance companies had greater opportunities to attract investors ' money. To invest in them can physical entity. In contrast, a microcredit company can only rely on the attachment of their founders.

After the entry of the amendments into force the rights of citizens, taking a loan or investing the money in MFIs are better protected.

First, total debt short-term loans, taking into account the interest and other fees included in the calculation of the total cost of the loan will never exceed the principal debt 4 times.

For example, if a borrower took out on a short term loan of 4 thousand rubles, and in the case of posacki of payment and the amount of its percentage of debt should not exceed 16 thousand. In addition, the IFC can't give more than 4 credits in one hand.

Second, improved conditions for those who lend money to microfinance organizations. These investments are still not subject to insurance by the state. However, if IFC goes bankrupt, the claims of creditors-physical persons on the amount of principal debt up to three million will be repaid on a priority basis.

The stricter requirements of banks to borrowers have contributed to their transfer from the banking sector to MFIs. For 2015 was concluded 29.9% more contracts (11.32 million contracts) than in 2014. The volume of microloans, issued in 2015 has increased by 6.5% compared to the previous year and amounted to 139,9 billion.

Among the priority tasks for the medium term, the Bank of Russia sees the implementation of standards for interaction between microfinance organizations and consumers of financial products and services, standards of their activities and corporate governance.

To reduce the cost of microfinance services and increase ease of use for consumers should contribute to the further development and implementation of digital financial services and new information technologies in the activities of microfinance organizations.

To reduce the risks associated with the activities of the various participants in the microfinance market, and further effective development of the system necessary to implement a differentiated approach to the regulation of activities and the formation of a duplex system with lower microfinance (microcredit companies) and higher (microfinance company) level in conjunction with relevant regulatory and Supervisory requirements.

The Bank of Russia in the medium term plans to establish requirements for the financial sustainability of microfinance companies (in particular, capital requirements, the introduction of separate standards) and the organization of risk management system participants in the microfinance market.

The tightening of the regulatory framework for MFIs should speed up the cleansing of the market from "grey" organizations and to provide conditions for the development of bona fide companies. Special attention, in our opinion, deserves the improvement of technology of granting online loans: how MFIs and their clients should be equally confident in the reliability of the other party.