News

September 10, 2008 - For the second time, FMO  in cooperation with DEG and SIMARCH organizes an online Asset and Liability Management competition  for banks from all kinds of emerging markets. This competition offers participants a unique chance to increase their ALM skills and it creates opportunities for knowledge exchange  and networking among banking personnel of a wide range of nationalities.

About 20 banks from emerging markets have been invited to participate via internet. The competition comprises two phases. The first phase started  August 18, 2008 and will last for 12 weeks and constitutes of six rounds. The teams will run their own “virtual” bank in a simulated and changing business environment. The banks can follow their own performance and take learned lessons into account for their next decisions. The top five of best performing banks to date is: Banpro, Nicaragua; Bank Caspian, Kazachstan; NMB, Tanzania, Clean Energy Bank, Nepal and BMCE, Morocco .

At the end of the sixth round, the five best teams will be selected and invited to come to the Netherlands for the three-day Final  in January 2009 in The Hague. Further information on the ALM Competition 2008 can be found here. Last year, Nations Trust Plc from Sri Lanka won the competition. Nations Trust Bank offers its clients a comprehensive range of banking services that include Corporate and Treasury solutions, Consumer Banking and Leasing.

The ALM competition is part of FMO's continuous  investment in the capacities of a number of our private sector clients. Building ALM capabilities is specifically important, because without strong ALM, local banks aren't best able to meet the needs of budding local entrepreneurs. FMO undertakes such efforts in support of its understanding that a healthy private sector is a key to sustainable development and to a stable country.  This belief is becoming increasingly mainstream. FMO supports this strongly, and realizes that once a widespread population has an economic stake and ownership in assets -- whether in the form of businesses or physical/financial capital -- that peace is likelier to be maintained.  That's why we invest in businesses in emerging markets, as well as their capacity to do business effectively.  

The Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) is the international development bank of the Netherlands. FMO invests risk capital in companies and financial institutions in developing countries. FMO's investment portfolio is EUR 3.4 billion, FMO is one of the largest bilateral development banks worldwide. Thanks in part to its relationship with the Dutch government, FMO is able to take risks which commercial financiers are not - or not yet - prepared to take. FMO's mission: to create flourishing enterprises, which can serve as engines of sustainable growth in their countries.

 Press contact:
Nicoline van Slingelandt
Communications Officer (PR)
T: +31 70 314 9790  
E: n.van.slingelandt@fmo.nl
W: www.fmo.nl