Mexico: Banamex Launches 2006 Microentrepreneur Awards

Banamex
Banamex Financial Group is a member of Citigroup, Inc. and is the leading financial group in Mexico, founded in 1884. The group has an outstanding position in the country’s financial markets through its affiliates, which includes deposits, consumer finance, handling resources from investment partnerships and funds for retirement, insurance banking, pensions, and stock market brokerage. The group has an extensive distribution net of over 1,400 branches and 5,114 automatic teller machines located throughout the country. For more information, visit www.banamex.com.

Citigroup
Citigroup, the leading global financial services company has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.


	Printer Friendly Page		FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) August 30, 2006 Mexico: Banamex Launches 2006 Microentrepreneur Awards Mexico City – Fomento Social Banamex launched today in a joint effort with Prodesarrollo, Finanzas y Microempresas A.C., an invitation for submissions to Premio Banamex a la Microempresa 2006 (2006 Microenterprise Award). The objective is to invite all microfinance institutions in the country to nominate their best customers as candidates. This is the second year in a row Banamex has sponsored this award. The objective of the award is to promote microfinance activities as a tool to reduce poverty, by carrying out a productive activity and acknowledging the path led by the most successful microentrepreneurs in the country in eight different categories: rural and urban innovation, rural and urban history, rural and urban consolidation, and rural and urban group. An organizing committee was created for the design and promotion of this award made up of the following entities: Fomento Social Banamex A.C. and Prodesarrollo, Finanzas y Microempresas A.C., and a board of consultants, headed by Fomento Social Banamex. The board of consultants includes individuals who are related to sectors such as the National Program to Finance Entrepreneurs called, Programa Nacional de Financiamiento al Microempresario (PRONAFIM) of the Ministry of Economy; Agricultural Related Trusts called: los Fideicomisos Instituidos en Relación con la Agricultura (FIRA) of the Central Bank; the Multilateral Investment Fund, el Fondo Multilateral de Inversiones (FOMIN) belonging to the Inter-American Development Bank, Educación Financiera Banamex, and are renowned specialists in the sector. This effort sets forth a consolidation process, after the success of Premio Banamex a la Microempresa 2005. It also demonstrated the commitment Banamex has made to acknowledge, support and inform the public about successful projects, regardless of size, and good financial practices of alternative credit institutions in Mexico. When the 2006 Award was launched, Fernando Peon, Head of Fomento Social Banamex, said, “For Banamex, repeating this experience fills us with great satisfaction, by acknowledging the best entrepreneurial men and women, who, in spite of all adversity, are able to flourish and do well in support of their families and communities. They are a true example – demonstrating that development possibilities do in fact exist, we only need to bring them closer to a larger number of Mexicans.” The Award allows for one winner per category, who will receive 30, 000 pesos, and up to two special mentions per category. All of them will receive a diploma, as well as training specially designed and organized by Educación Financiera Banamex. This year new acknowledgements were added, one for the best “Success Story” of an entrepreneur that started as microentrepreneur using financing from a microfinance institution and has now become a successful small- or medium-size entrepreneur. Another “Success Story” award will also go to the three microfinance institutions that made the greatest efforts in order to participate in the Award. Each microfinance institution in the country will be able to nominate candidates; up to two or three of their best clients per category, but no more than eight in total. This will be done using a form that must be sent via e-mail no later than October 6. The proposals shall be analyzed by a panel of judges that include specialists on the topic. The winners will be notified on October 31 and the award ceremony will take place during the month of November in Mexico City. For more information related to these awards please visit http://www.banamex.com/esp/grupo/eventos/index.html. # # # Banamex Banamex Financial Group is a member of Citigroup, Inc. and is the leading financial group in Mexico, founded in 1884. The group has an outstanding position in the country’s financial markets through its affiliates, which includes deposits, consumer finance, handling resources from investment partnerships and funds for retirement, insurance banking, pensions, and stock market brokerage. The group has an extensive distribution net of over 1,400 branches and 5,114 automatic teller machines located throughout the country. For more information, visit www.banamex.com. Citigroup Citigroup, the leading global financial services company has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com.