Congo Brazza : CAPPED
Development of microfinance in Congo. CAPPED
is a microfinance institution (MFI) which offers small businessmen a possibility
to access financial services adapted to their needs: credits for
small and medium firms, jointly secured microcredits for women, saving
systems, money transfers. After very hard times in the wake of successive
wars shaking 
Congo over the last few years, CAPPED is now getting back
on its feet with the support of SOS Faim.
This MFI, which runs 4 agencies for the time being (2 in Brazzaville, 1 in Pointe-Noir and 1 in Dolisie is having a tremendous success, especially with its “savings” system. At the end of 2004, the MFI has about 12 000 costumers who together accumulated some 2 000 000 €. As for micro credits, with an average of about 305 €, CAPPED has about 2500 clients. Portfolio quality - for its recent customers- has been clearly rising (92%). However, due to the past wars, its overall portfolio is still suffering from a number of unpaid older credits, which might definitely be lost.
On top of very small and jointly secured credits for women (small shopkeepers mainly), CAPPED also offers a limited number of loans to small and medium sized businesses. The amounts are higher (up to 5000 €). The objective is to support small manufacturing units in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire (almost everything the country needs is imported) to help reduce unemployment. CAPPED wants to create a small number of model businesses in order to prove that with microfinance, small companies in Congo have a chance to develop well.
As an institution, CAPPED is autonomous since 2003: before that it used to be the financial service of FJEC. Furthermore it is in full compliance with current legislation in Central Africa (COBAC law). Today, CAPPED has become a reference institution in Congo, where a development plan is to be launched in a near future.
Financing: SOS Faim Luxembourg support to CAPPED amounts 121.000 € in 2006.
