Bangladesh Grameen Bank – Pioneer in Microfinance

EXHIBIT IV
SIXTEEN DECISIONS OF GRAMEEN BANK

• We respect the four principles of the Grameen Bank - discipline, unity, courage and work - and we apply them to all our lives.
• We wish to give our families good living standards.
• We will not live in dilapidated houses. We repair them and work to build new ones.
• We cultivate vegetables the whole year round and sell the surplus.
• During the season for planting, we pick out as many seedlings as possible.
• We intend to have small families. We shall reduce our expenses to a minimum. We take care of our health.
• We educate our children and see that they can earn enough money to finance their training.
• We see to it that our children and homes are clean.
• We build latrines and use them.
• We only drink water drawn from a well. If not, we boil the water or we use alum.
• We will not accept a marriage dowry for our son and we do not give one to our daughter at her marriage. Our centre is against this practice.
• We cause harm to no one and we will not tolerate that anyone should do us harm.
• To increase our income, we make important investments in common.
• We are always ready to help each other. When someone is in difficulty, we all give a helping hand.
• If we learn that discipline is not respected in a centre, we go along to help and restore order.
• We are introducing physical culture in all centres. We take part in all social events.

Source: www.grameen-info.org

EXHIBIT V
RELAXATIONS ANNOUNCED BY GRAMEEN BANK IN 1998

• Grameen Bank extended new loans to the members who had 5 – 10 installments due.
• It also extended new loans to borrowers who had repaid around half of the loans, and the repayment schedule was extended for a year.
• It also decided to extend seasonal loans to the members who had paid 16 installments of the total 50 installments.
• It also extended a supplementary loan of 5,000 Taka to its existing housing loan members for repairing their houses.
• It also extended around 2,500 Taka to the people who had not received housing loans earlier.
• It extended new housing loans to members whose houses were completely damaged.

Source: www.grameen-info.org

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES & READINGS