He Microcredit It has established itself as a key tool for youths entrepreneurs that energize the economy with little ones business. In fact, the country leads in Central America and the Caribbean in the strategy of Loans segmented and monitored, aimed at productive sectors with growth potential.
One of the cases that exemplifies this reality is that of Yarislendy Lantigua, a mother of limited resources who has managed to hold her family for more than 10 years thanks to little ones Loans Of 20,000 pesos, used to supply your cafeteria, your only source of income. In the past, the lack of identity card prevented him from accessing traditional banking.
This mechanism of financing It is essential for non -banking people who need to capitalize on a project or cover specific needs. However, it remains one of the types of credit With the highest interest rate on the market, due to the risk they represent for entities financial for their informality.
Like Lantigua, the experience of more than a dozen youths that have tried to initiate a project indicates that access to credit It has been his main challenge for undertake. Among the difficulties are the little experience of the youths and his little credit history in the entities formal
Entities that support
One of the pioneering institutions in supporting this economic segment is the Dominican Development Foundation (FDD), recognized for its commitment to financial inclusion and the granting of credits productive to MSMEs already entrepreneurs. Since its creation, it has promoted more than one million Dominicans, consolidating itself as one of the main sources of support for the sector.
How does it work? The FDD It has a specialized team that moves to different provinces of the country to evaluate the resource needs of the little ones business. In addition, it offers accompaniment to help increase the economic activity of entrepreneurs.
December 2024, in the system Financial existed 49,812 credits Under the modality of Microcreditgranted by five entities: Adopem (71 %), AdeMi (27 %), Banfondesa (25 %), Union (12 %) and CoFaci (1 %). More than 45 % of the debt corresponds to women youths and home leaders.
“The reason why many women They turn to these Loans It is because they usually undertake in sectors that require a investment Initial low, but they need immediate capital to operate, “explains Mercedes Canalda, president of ADOPEM.
The Superintendence De Bancos registered the amount owed to 2024 in 15,263 million pesos, an amount that increased by 548 % in almost 10 years, going from 2,354 million in 2015 to the current value. The average rate is 36 %, surpassed only by cards of credit.
Informal lender
A study carried out by ADOPEM revealed that, although many microentrepreneurs access financing Formal, they continue to resort to informal lenders due to the speed and ease with which they get the money.
“The entrepreneurs They do not maintain a fixed trend in their income and, on many occasions, compromise the capital of the business to meet urgent family needs, such as a birthday, a baptism or a graduation, “says Canalda.
Experts say that financial education is the key to achieving balance in small ventures, especially, not to depend 100 % of loans, with personal and business strategies that avoid reaching over -indebtedness.
