Banco Popular

Equity : March 2022

BIO has invested an additional USD 1.7 M in equity in Banco Popular, a Honduran microfinance institution, to reach 26.6% of company's shares

Amount

€ 1,559,546.70

Type of investment

Equity

Development impacts

Local economic growth
Financial inclusion

Beneficiary locations

Latin America and Caribbean: Honduras

Investment field

Financial Institutions

Activity

KK.64.191 Microfinance institution

Organisation

Banco Popular

Website

https://bancopopular.hn/

Domicile

Banco Popular

More investments in

Banco Popular

Subsidy € 10,223.00 (2022-2023)
Subsidy € 12,508.00 (2021-2022)
Debt € 4,494,000.00 (2019-2023)
Equity € 121,408.00 (2017)
Equity € 200,374.59 (2015)
Equity € 1,364,000.00 (2010)
Equity € 1,357,000.00 (2007)

Banco Popular is the leading bank specialised in microfinance in Honduras. It offers loans, deposits, money transfer and other financial services to privately-owned micro and small enterprises and their owners, as well as the general lower income strata of the Honduran population.

It started its activities in 2004 as a Saving Association and received the commercial banking licence from the Honduran Banking Commission in 2008.

BIO has been a shareholder of Banco Popular since 2008 when it invested together with several other DFI's with the aim of assisting the institution in its transformation to a commercial bank specialised in microfinance. BIO now makes its fourth follow-up investment amidst a reshuffling of the bank’s shareholding, with a new consortium of impact investors and the implementation of a Value Creation Plan focused on Digitalisation, E&S aspects, Rural Expansion and Corporate Governance.

Development impacts

Local economic growth
91% of portfolio are loans provided to microenterprises and SMEs

Additional services such as deposits and financial trainings are also offered to clients.
Financial inclusion
Popular is the main bank in Honduras specialised in microfinance. The average micro loan is USD 860 and the average SME loan USD 17,000.

Popular has 28 branches throughout the country and is expanding in rural areas with less financial institutions present. It uses more than 5,000 alternative cash points for payment solutions.

The company also offers deposits, insurance and medical assistance products adapted to the lower strata of the population

E&S Impact

Banco Popular will

maintain the Client Protection certification & perform regular social assessments,
define and monitor social goals, and ensure board, management and employee commitment to these goals,
draft a dedicated E&S Policy and align with the EDFI exclusion list, and
set up a grievance mechanism for workers to raise workplace complaints.

Current situation

Banco Popular has no dedicated social or environmental policy or environmental and social management in place. A list of excluded activities, however, is formalised in the credit policy.

Risk Category: C