MEMBERS

SCA "FED invest," under the Law on SCA, is a financial cooperative. The beneficiary members of its services, mainly residents of rural and semi-urban areas, are at the same time the sole owners of the savings and credit association "FED invest." The Members' decision-making is based on the principle "one member = one vote," regardless of the amount of contribution paid to the capital. "FED invest" is a 100% Albanian capital company. The bodies of the company are the General Assembly, the Managing Council, the Audit Committee and the Administrator. The Managing Council and the Audit Committee are elected by the General Assembly of the company for a period of four years and with the right of re-election. At the end of 2019, "FED invest" had more than 69,000 members.

BRANCHES

Branches are organizational units under the SCA "FED invest," located in almost all municipalities of the country, mainly in the rural areas. The branches directly exercise all or some of the activities of SCA "FED invest." In general, the process of membership is conducted in the branch, which belongs to the geographical area where the member carries out his activity in line with the criteria based on the common interest of the company and the member. Membership in each area elects the Managing Council of the branch through the principle "one member = one vote." Based on this principle more than 200 FED invest members have been elected as heads of their communities. At the end of 2019, "FED invest" expanded its activity in most of the villages of Albania and provided access to financial services for more than 45% of the population of the country living in rural areas.

The Managing Council is the executive body of SCA "FED invest" that administers the association and is responsible for administering business activity and auditing funds. The Managing Council has the duty to report to the General Assembly about the financial situation of the company and the tasks assigned by it. The Managing Council of the "FED invest" is composed of 5 members elected by the General Assembly for a four-year term, with the right of re-election. The members of the "FED invest" Managing Council are prominent individuals in their areas of expertise and with a reputation in the communities they come from.

Members of the Managing Council:

The Fed invest Managing Councilpursuant to the strategy approved by the General Assembly, ensures the safeguarding of the interests of the membership, the achievement of strategic objectives and a prudent risk management control.

The Audit Committee is composed of 3 members approved by the General Assembly for a four-year term with the right of re-election.

Members of Audit Committee:

The Audit Committee controls and oversees the implementation of the accounting and internal control procedures of the SCA, including the rules established by the Bank of Albania and DIA, makes an assessment of the financial situation of the SCA, based on the report of chartered accountant, approves financial reports and statements, prepared by the SCA, for the purpose of their publication, checks the compliance of the SCA activity with laws and bylaws and notifies the Board of Directors of the conclusions, etc.

Staff

SCA "FED invest" has 249 full-time employees throughout its branch network, according to the data of the 2019 report. All employees have completed higher education in accordance with the needs of association and 30% of them have completed Master’s Studies in the field of economics. The average age of the company's employees is 41 years old with females making up 52.44% of the staff. Depending on the department in which they work, the company's employees are trained during the probationary period and are subject to ongoing training that the association organizes thereafter.

We were the first …………….

A World Bank’s $ 20,000 pre-pilot project in 1992 aimed at alleviating poverty in the country laid the groundwork for the establishment and legal regulation of savings and credit associations (SCAs) operating in rural areas of the country. The delivery of financial services that were lacking, the support of private initiative and the gradual improvement of livelihoods over the years, enabled the activity of savings and credit associations to flourish and increase their financial capacities. Assessing the need for a better overall organization and well-performing activity of savings and credit associations, 60 of them founded the Albanian Savings and Credit Union (Union) in 2002. An umbrella institution that supported the establishment, supervised the work of SCAs and served as financial leverage for them.

Always Social Finance

Quantitative and qualitative expansion of the activity of SCAs and the Union came with new opportunities for further growth. With the full support of the Bank of Albania and the consultancy of Rabobank International Advisory Services - RIAS, it was suggested to merge the Union and its constituent SCAs into a single institution for the purpose of consolidation. The new institution would maintain a two-tier system of governance and one-tier operational activity management, based on European best practices. This organization would enable the enhancement of institutional efficiency in decision-making, increase of financing capacities for farmers, as well as expansion of the range of products and services that the institution offers. At the General Assembly of the SCA Union on December 4, 2015, the voluntary merger through absorption of 70 SCAs into the existing savings and loan association "FED invest" was approved..

On March 2, 2016, the Bank of Albania licensed the Savings and Credit Association "FED invest."

FED invest is a successful model of Albanian farmers’ cooperation owned by them that currently numbers about 69 thousand members. Its aim is to provide financial and non-financial services to its membership.

FED invest continues to be committed to fulfilling the social mission in rural areas: generation of jobs, step-by-step development of the household farm, contributing somehow to reduction of poverty and improvement of this population’s livelihoods.

The whole regulatory framework has been drafted drawing on the Institution’s long experience, the contribution of the elected, current human capacities in a balanced adaptation to the demands of time.

The establishment and consolidation of FED invest has been hailed as a success story by the World Bank andCGAP..

Global Financial Development Report 2017/2018

World Bank Publication

Banking Without Borders

In these 28 years of Social Finance, looking back on it all, the thought takes us back to the very beginning, when the word credit was unknown to the rural area. We can say in full confidence that for a quarter of a century, FED invest has proven to be the leading and exclusive partner in the rural area. The leading position in microfinance has been achieved through the titanic efforts of the staff and the elected, also committed and determined to reach out to the people even for the decades to come!

Actuality

After almost 5 years of experience we have tried to analyze the perspectives of all parties of interest and it turns out that consolidation is considered a win-to-win situation for all:

• Members: Enhancing the service standards and providing accessible services close to new branches.
• The elected: Increasing opportunities for local economic development.
• Staff:More capacity building and career opportunities.
• Regulator:Ease of oversight over a consolidated system.
• Farmers: A strong Financial Institution focused on sustainable development of rural areas.
• Albania: Një Institucion i fortë Financiar i fokusuar në zhvillimin e qëndrueshëm të zonave rurale.

Of course aware of the challenges ahead and the institution's responsibilities in relation to the community member, FED invest will continue to expand the scale and forms of intervention, enhancing performance and financial sustainability. Also, in the light of its social mission, FED invest will work to facilitate access for poor and low-income people to financial services, strengthen institutional capacity, adopt financial services according to specific needs, and train staff on a continuous basis.

To conclude, FED invest cannot maximize the value of members and impact on community without achieving a sustainable growth, which translates into a solid capital base, increased efficiency, stronger profitability, even through the use of the most advanced technology.

STRENGTHENING FINANCIAL AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS

Our existing and new partners are a valuable asset for promoting development through funding, technical know-how and networking. We continue to grow and strengthen through cooperation with strategic international partners by:

• Receiving valuable technical assistance and guidance to build business strategies and models;
• Providing funding and grants for capital strengthening and business expansion;
• Initiating and experimenting with technological and digital innovations;
• Developing capacities to better manage risk and empower employees and management;
• Improving corporate governance and regulatory framework;

Rabo Bank - Growth through Strategic Projects
Improvement and expansion of financial services, with the aim of ensuring economic development of rural Albania. 

Phase II of the Project with the Dutch Government, EFSE DF and Rabo Partnership

FIAS Project - Project about financial inclusion of household farms

Guarantee Fund in the framework of the European EaSI program on participation in the European Union program for employment and social innovation, for a maximum amount of ​
75 million euros by 2024

EFSE Impact Report 2019
Nourishing the roots of family farms

TRANSFORMING FED INVEST IN ALBANIA

Kliko dhe lexo Raportin e Plotë

Agreement with RCGF on the Guarantee Fund worth 3.2 million euros

 

Agreement with the Italian-Albanian SME Development Program.

Interreg Balkan-Mediterranean regional project partner "Building community of knowledge for SMEs" Skills4MSEs

Agreement on Subordinated Debt of 0.5 million Euros with Helenos Fund

 

Agreement with the World Planet Foundation for the interest-free loan of 0.3 million Euros