【Support for microfinance projects in Myanmar】Holding company of MJI microfinance forms a business alliance with Music Securities and Living in Peace

16th October, 2018

quarante limited liability company

Music Securities, Inc.

Living in Peace (Specified Nonprofit Corporation)

quarante limited liability company owning a MJI microfinance in Myanmar (Location: Chuo Ward, Tokyo, Representative partner: Yuko Kato, hereafter “quarante”) , Music Securities, Inc. which runs an impact investment platform “Securite” that can be invested from as little as a few ten thousand yen, (Location: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, President and CEO: Masami Komatsu, hereafter “Music Securities”) and Living in Peace which is a Specified Nonprofit Corporation tackling poverty reduction inside and outside Japan (Location: Chuo Ward, Tokyo, President: Shinzo Nakazato and Yiqun Gong, hereafter “LIP”) are pleased to announce that the three of us have entered into a business alliance agreement with the purpose of supporting people in situations of low-income and poverty in Myanmar through microfinance services.

With this agreement, the three of us (quarante, Music Securities and LIP) will build a cooperative system towards raising fund for microfinance services in Myanmar. For the purpose of raising fund utilized for quarante’s operation of microfinance projects in Myanmar, LIP takes up designing and research for the fund and Music securities plays roles to compose, raise, and operate the fund.

Music Securities and LIP have been in a business alliance since March 4, 2009 and have designed and operated “LIP Microfinance Fund for MDGs”, which supports microfinance services in developing countries from Japan. We have designed 8 funds for 3 microfinance institutions in some countries including Cambodia and Vietnam, and raised fund totaling about 240million yen from 2,800 investors.

In addition, we will host an event under the theme of “Future with Microfinance” on November 3, 2018 (Sat.), at which we will offer explanations regarding the present business alliance and the situation of microfinance in Myanmar.

Microfinance in Myanmar
Myanmar once had almost no international transaction due to political issues, and its financial sector had been fragile for a long time. Microfinance was introduced to the country in 1997 led by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and liberalization of the market accelerated after Thein Sein’s accession in 2011 which enabled microfinance with foreign funds as well.
While Myanmar’s economy is developing day by day, the country is still listed as one of the least developed countries (poorest countries) by the United Nations, and microfinance services are not provided sufficiently except urban areas.
※Microfinance is a generic term for small-scale financial services provided for people in poverty and families with low-income.

Impact investment platform “Securite”
“Securite” is an impact investment platform which can be invested from as little as a few ten thousand yen. Impact investment is a new investment system which pursue both economic and social value, solving issues in each community or social issues such as poverty and environment by raising investment from everyone.
URL: https://www.securite.jp/

Corporation’s Information

[MJI ENTERPRISE Co., Ltd.]
No.51 E, U Phoe Tat Lane, Kabar Aye Pagoda Road, 10 Quarter, Mayangone Township, Yangon, Myanmar.
Representative CEO: Yuko Kato
Microfinance projects in Myanmar (Operation of MJI microfinance, a microfinance institution)

[quarante limited liability company]
15-7, Ginza 1-chome, Chuo Ward, Tokyo
Representative Partner: Yuko Kato
Holding stock of MJI and operating MJI’s microfinance projects

[Music Securities, Inc.]
3F, Otemachi Building, 1-6-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo
President and CEO: Masami Komatsu
Operating an impact investment platform “Securite”, composing funds, and selling funds (Type II Financial Instruments Business, Kanto Local Finance Bureau (FIBO), No. 1791）
https://www.musicsecurities.com/

[Living in Peace (Specified Nonprofit Corporation)]
Kabutocho 1st Heiwa Bldg, 5-1, Nihonbashi Kabutocho, Chuo Ward, Tokyo
President: Shinzo Nakazato, Yiqun Gong
Designing and disseminating information of microfinance funds with the aim of poverty reduction through equality of opportunity
https://mf.living-in-peace.org/