DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO/ AGENCY BANKING

Banks generally consider poor customers too risky and too expensive to serve. But in the Democratic Republic of Congo, even low-income people now have a safe place to save money, earn interest and manage economic decisions.  WORLD BANK

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:41
• Production Date: 23 May 2014
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: WORLD BANK
• Subject Topical: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT; FINANCING; INVESTMENT BANKING
• Geographic Subject: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
• MAMS Id: 1025249

Description

STORY: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO/AGENCY BANKING
TRT: 1:41
SOURCE: WORLD BANK
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: FRENCH/NATS

DATELINE: APRIIL 2014, KINSASHA, DRC

Shotlist

1.Wide shot, people walking along street market
2.Wide shot, people walking along street market
3.Wide shot, cars driving in front of businesses
4.Wide shot, exterior shot of FINCA building
5.Tilt down, exterior shot of FINCA express storefront
6.Med shot, customer putting his fingerprint on scanner
7.Close up, business owner using scanning machine
8.SOUNDBITE (French)Jean Kabongo, Development Manager, FINCA DRC:
“With FINCA Express, the business model is to create a way to enable transactions and gain customers the cheapest way possible, for us and for our customers.”
9.Close up, customer putting their fingerprint on scanner
10.Med shot, customer depositing money with FINCA representative
11.Close up, business owner entering information in scanner
12.Med shot, Elisa Bakutima opening up bank account
13.Close up, Elisa Bakutima’s face
14.Close up, Elisa Bakutima pressing her fingerprint on scanner
15.Med shot, Elisa Bakutima signing deposit receipt
16.SOUNDBITE (French)Elisa Bakutima, Bank Customer:
“Before only rich people had access to banks 1:58 But now we are really, really happy that they're helping us poor people 2:04 to save little by little. That's how we'll be saved.”
17.Wide shot, time lapse of sun setting over Kinshasa

Storyline

For Kinshasa’s poor – traditional banks have been largely out of reach. Major financial institutions consider dealing with low-income customers too risky and too costly.

But FINCA (feen-KUH) is a global micro finance bank that offers what’s known as ‘agency banking.’

Rather than build brick and mortar bank branches … FINCA Express provides financial services through a network of trained agents – who operate out of their own shops and businesses.

SOUNDBITE (French)Jean Kabongo, Development Manager, FINCA DRC:
“With FINCA Express, the business model is to create a way to enable transactions and gain customers the cheapest way possible, for us and for our customers.”

Customers simply scan their finger, provide their bank account number and withdraw or deposit their money. There are no fees so they can save small amounts.
At age 54 … Elisa Bakutima opened her first ever bank account with only $1. She is hoping to save enough to buy a piece of land someday.

SOUNDBITE (French)Elisa Bakutima, Bank Customer:
(French) “Before only rich people had access to banks. But now we are really, really happy that they're helping us poor people to save little by little. That's how we'll be saved.”