Providing Financial Services in Rural Areas : A Fresh Look at Financial Cooperatives

accounting advisory services agricultural cooperatives agricultural credit auditing balance sheets bankruptcy capacity building commercial banks commercial credit consumer cooperatives cooperative banks cooperatives corruption credit cooperatives credit policies discrimination diversification economic development economic growth employment entrepreneurs facilitation families farm enterprises financial institutions financial market gender government intervention handicrafts households housing individuals information technology institutional development interest rates international bank laws legislation managers market economies microfinance monopoly natural resources outreach overhead costs pensions productivity profitability remittances repayment retirement risk management rural finance savings savings banks savings groups small farmers social welfare stakeholders transport union unions urban areas village villages working capital