Capital Aid Fund for Employment of the Poor (CEP) Microfinance Expansion Project

Objectives: The aim of this project is to assist CEP's microfinance outreach, with an additional 15,500 clients from poor households being supported to improve the quality and sustainability of their livelihoods. It is intended that by project end, CEP will have become a model of a large, successful and sustainable microfinance institution, which may be replicated throughout Vietnam.

Australian Contribution: A$5.730 million

Total cost: A$ 5.730 million

Location: Urban and rural districts of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Duration: 1st June 2001 - 30th June 2008

Project components:

The five major components are:

Institutional capacity building
On-lending expansion
Impact and demonstration to make CEP become a successful microfinance model in Vietnam
Monitoring and evaluation
Technical adviser

Outcomes:

CEP's financial services outreach increase from 23,500 existing clients to 39,000, with additional 15,500 clients from poor households being supported. Besides, 5000 of existing clients are supported to have their loan sizes increased.
At the end of 5 years CEP will attain full financial self-sufficiency and its capital base will continue to grow at the rate of 20% per year.
CEP will become a demonstration model of a large, successful and sustainable 'Vietnamese' microfinance institution, which can be replicated throughout Viet Nam.

Australian Managing Contractor: No AMC is required for this project. The following managing and executing agencies are also Vietnamese counterparts.

Managing agency: National Labour Confederation of Vietnam

Executing agency: HCMC Labour Confederation through the Capital Aid Fund for Employment of the Poor (CEP)

Mr Nguyen Huy Can
Chairman of HCMC Labour Confederation
Ms Nguyen Thi Hoang Van, Managing Director of CEP
14 Cach Mang Thang Tam, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: 84-8-8220959
Fax: 84-8-8245620
Email: cephcm@cep.org.vn

AusAID Contact person:

Mr Nguyen Van Hue
Senior Manager
No. 5B Ton Duc Thang, QI, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel.: 84 8 8296035 ext 169
Fax: 84 8 8226201
Email: nguyen-van.hue@dfat.gov.au

2008