The Grameen Crédit Agricole Foundation is proud to be a signatory of the Cerise + SPTF Client Protection Pathway. The Client Protection Pathway guides providers in implementing the Client Protection Standards, which are the essential practices for excellence in consumer protection in terms of product design & delivery, prevention of over-Indebtedness, transparency, responsible pricing, fair & respectful treatment of clients, privacy of client data, and mechanisms for complaints resolution.
The Client Protection Pathway is a tool developed by CERISE* and the Social Performance Task Force (SPTF)** to help financial service providers commit, make and share progress and even certify to client protection standards.
Edouard Sers, Head of Risk, Compliance and Impact at the Foundation expresses enthusiasm over the launch of the client protection pathway: “When the Smart Campaign closed last year, I was concerned that the industry might lose its focus on client protection. As a partner of 76 MFIs in Sub Saharan Africa, South East Asia, South Asia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation pays great attention to their practices during each due diligence and stands ready to accompany them in their path to excellence in client protection, through financing and technical assistance. I am thrilled that CERISE and the SPTF take up this important role in our industry.”
It is only through collective action that we can ensure the stability of the industry, even more so in these times of climate change and pandemic. The Foundation therefore highly encourages its partners to prioritize client protection and join this major initiative.
Download the joint Declaration
*CERISE is an organization created in 1998 which promotes responsible, inclusive and ethical finance and works with various actors in the sector to co-create free social standard and social assessment tools.
** SPTF is a non-profit organization that seeks to develop and promote standards and good practices for social performance management to make financial services safer for clients.