摘要:World Bank Discussion Paper No. 369. This paper reports on the microfinance program of Hatton National Bank Limited (HNB), the largest private commercial bank in Sri Lanka. It reviews the experience of HNB, which has initiated a program offering financial services to the poor while continuing its traditional business operations. The report addresses four issues pertaining to HNB's microfinance operations. What motivates HNB to undertake a microfinance program? Can a privately owned commercial bank successfully downscale part of its operations for microfinance? What adjustments are needed in regular banking operations to build a profitable microfinance program? Is a microfinance operation consistent with a privately owned bank's profit-maximizing objective?
