Evaluation Summary - Mesofinance Advans project

In Ghana, for the “Finance” sector, the grant to support the mesofinance Advans project in order to develop its offer of loans to Small and medium enterprises (SME) was subject to an evaluation in April 2018.

The project aimed at contributing to the economic development and poverty reduction in Ghana by increasing access of SMEs to finance. SME loans were so far underserved by the financial institutions of the country. This required a development of know-how through training and technical assistance.

The project was deemed appropriate to market conditions as well as to the needs of the target beneficiaries. It was in keeping with national policies and AFD strategies. However, the results in terms of meeting the project goals are mixed. The majority of the objectives were achieved, but external context kept the loan portfolio to meet the targets as measured by the Portofolio at risk (PAR) past 30. Yet, results achieved continue to unfold and the knowledge and know-how acquired during the project have been well internalized and replicated. There is room for improvement as regards the inclusion of a gender approach aiming at designing products that respond to the specific needs of female SME proprietors.