We are inspired to make a difference in peoples lives through inclusive financial services.

Our aim is to
become the most innovative microfinance bank in the world.
Tameer Micro Finance Bank Limited is the first scheduled Micro Finance Bank in Pakistan and a part of
Telenor Group.
Tameer Bank launched its operations in 2005 to provide micro-finance and related financial services to
the less privileged and unbanked segment of the society. We hope to contribute towards poverty
eradication under the Microfinance Institution ordinance, 2001.
Tameer Bank offers a range of financial services including Deposits, Loans, Mobile Accounts, Health
Insurance, Remittances, Cash management services and Bank on Wheels. Based on the results for the
year ended 31 December 2014, the credit rating company JCR-VIS has reaffirmed the long-term entity
rating of Tameer to "A+" (Single A Plus) [Previous: "A"] while maintaining the short-term rating at"A1"
(A One). Outlook on the assigned rating is 'Stable' as of April 28th, 2016.

Our Vision

To improve lives in every home.

Our Mission

To improve lives by building the ecosystem for the unbanked through innovation, best in class talent
and customer care, in a sustainable manner.

Our Core Values

Respect
Innovation
Integrity
Meritocracy
Equal Opportunity\

Tameers fundamental approach to microfinance is centered around a sustainable, commercially viable

management system. Please
comment.
The management system at Tameer initially comprised of senior Citi bankers taking up key positions, to ensure that
the framework of operations installed, was strictly in line with global best practices of banking, which were a part of
Citi and which the management was proficient with due to their Citi experiences. The focus was on getting a quality
network and core banking operations up and running, which would spur fast growth while maintaining high service
operation levels and portfolio quality. After achieving that, in due course of time, additional management tiers at the
senior, middle and front line were established, with control divested from seed management, to empower the new
tiers.
Curiously enough we came to understand with time, that management professionals who were not strictly from the
banking industry were bringing values and systems from other sectors which were equally applicable to the banking
environment, in fact some of the professionals coming from diverse backgrounds brought with them sterling ideas,
innovations and new ways of thinking and doing, which have contributed to the core body of knowledge, experience
and quality which make up the Tameer personality today.

This has been achieved by investing heavily in Information Technology and integrated management systems, a
unified system of monitoring and control, allowing space to experiment, rethink and re-do some of the more traditional
and taken for granted approaches in banking and microfinance, while at the same time inculcating this diversity of
people, management styles and policies, to be a part of the Tameer core banking system.
A management culture of strategic, tactical and functional forums held, daily, weekly and monthly at the senior, middle
and first line tiers of management is an important driver for those systems. It results in diverse value propositions
coming together in a formatted and unified approach toward MF growth, which is why the management system at
Tameer is considered to be an imperative and defining asset of the Bank.
Given that Tameers approach to micro finance is centered around a sustainable, commercially viable model,
what is your current financial situation and trends to date? Why is Tameer rumoured to be running into huge
losses?
Rumors in the market for a young and growing bank making bold strides are expected. However rumors are hearsay
at best, considering that banks are State Bank regulated entities with the standard practice of having accounting
systems and financial figures for the year open and on display for all to see the profits and losses.
Tameers management recognizes its responsibility to attain profit but at the same time we consider ourselves a not
just for profit business and the bank is steadily moving everyday towards achieving a complete triple bottom line.
This means continuing to invest in maturing systems and specially soft investments like;customer education other
than pure sales, providing for the communities needs in education, health, loans and savings options which are
sympathetic in price, cost and terms for the customers benefit.
Furthermore to continue business with a no-compromise policy on the quality and modernity of operations, while
being multi dimensional in bottom line objectives, does bill its due cost to the system. The average time it normally
takes for a bank to break into profits is usually between 3-5 years. I feel that Tameer, a four year old bank, while
keeping its quality and service level high will comfortably manage to attain appreciable profit within the normal time
frame.
What is the single most significant impediment to the sustainability of microfinance as a sector, in Pakistan?
And to your bank?
Sustainability impediments in microfinance as a sector in Pakistan have to do more with the limitations of the MFBs in
innovative thinking and
conviction for new ways of doing things in the markets, rather than any limitation or slow track in the regulatory and
policy process.
For instance, the State Bank has been very supportive of MF growth and so has the Pakistan Micro-finance Network
(PMN). There is a refreshing service attitude within these bodies for the sector and its players rather than only control
and compliance assurance.
Some of the resolutions and policies enacted in the past 2 years have broadened the scope and scale of microfinance
in Pakistan, encouraging not only MF organizations but also Telcos and other industry players to come in and see
what they can bring to the value table in terms of partnering with core MF practitioners for empowering the un-banked
and making forays in this huge market segment, hitherto largely untapped.

If an impediment must be identified then I would call it the challenge within, which all MFBs face, which is to
encourage and sustain the poor to save for the long term. Savings and deposits especially microfinance segment
savings remain the challenge.
What sets Tameer apart from other MFIs?
Tameers unique proposition as a Bank is continuous innovation and redefinition of its core product and service
offering to the public, keeping in sync with changing and growing customer needs, with the ambition to benchmark
and redefine the way banking is done, not just in Pakistan but around the world.
There is a focus in Tameer for financial inclusion and the bank has a product and service dashboard especially
designed to cater for the earning needs, cash flows and expansion of microfinance businesses as well as to provide
high value banking solutions for the home, especially for females.
The key challenge after launching the dashboard remained however, which was to create low cost distribution access
on a mass scale so that the dashboard can reach the mass-market in a secure and easy way in a short time, with
wide spread availability, in order to really live up to our ideal of Empowering the Un-banked.
In partnership with Telenor, the Easy Paisa mobile banking brand was launched in October. This will be a key channel
in increasing the access of structured banking services to the common folk of Pakistan through their mobile sets; a
proven channel with the widest touch-point access in the Pakistani population.
The Easy Paisa has been launched in its first phase with a utility bill payment facility and shortly, additional capacity
will be added on to the service for customers, to maintain Mobile Wallets, make remittances, peer-to-peer (P2P)
transactions and apply for products and services with Tameer bank.
Some of the innovations in core banking products and services that Tameer has brought about, simply by focusing on
the needs of the market place without being intimidated too much with the fact that its not been done before include
being the first bank to offer full 24-hour operations at the Karachi Fisheries to accommodate the 24-hour fishing trade
cycle, became the first bank to acquire a branchless banking license in Pakistan from the State Bank of Pakistan, in
2008, offers upfront profit on deposits to customers.
And from the depositors point of view? From the borrowers PoV?
From a borrowers as well as a depositors point of view our focus groups show that the value perceptions developing
within customers (Tameerians) of Tameer as a Brand is a sense of belonging, reliance and expectation from the
Tameer brand. Which is now starting to stand out across Pakistan as a banking entity which is different, modern, fast
and secure, in line with the best practices of the world, bringing new ways, exciting options and refreshing change to
the concept of banking in Pakistan, compared to the same-old traditional options and features being restructured, reoffered and advertised by most commercial banking under different product guises and communication design
themes.
We understand that you also take deposits. How common a practice is this? How do you incentivize potential
depositors to invest with you?
For a microfinance bank the traditional MF focus is on giving loans, however the big challenge for the majority of
banks, especially microfinance banks is to maintain appreciable deposit portfolios to fund loan portfolios.

Central Bank regulations fully allow microfinance Banks to take deposits from all segments of society and very
recently MFBs have also been given the status of Scheduled banks by the State Bank, which is an important
decision which levels the playing field for MFBs to compete with commercial banks for customer deposits, especially
for institutional deposits where policies usually stipulate that funds must be kept with Scheduled banks only.
It is an interesting but little known fact that microfinance banks usually offer the best rates on deposits in the market,
compared to commercial banks.
Largely because MFBs must compete fiercely in the commercial market for deposits, while being built and budgeted
as a microfinance bank to incur low cost distribution overheads, especially by being low key on certain customer
aspects, which have been traditionally portrayed as defining value in commercial banking, such as the in-store
experience. MFBs usually dont maintain outlets which are high profile in decor and interior design and dont
maintain expensive customer services front offices especially for deposits.
However the two distinct value propositions offered to depositors, is a higher rate on deposits than commercial banks
with better terms, as well as very personalized customer service, usually door-step service, to high net worth
customers for their banking needs, thereby in our opinion; taking the customer experience to the next level from in
store to doorstep service providing.