Kemal Dervis & Jean-Michel FOR too long, private businesses have not been seen as key drivers of human development. Yet as the world becomes more interdependent, doing business with the poor can not only boost firms' competitiveness, but also help in the fight against poverty. A UNDP report released on Monday offers compelling examples of opportunities that create value for all: both achieving the Millennium Development Goals that have galvanised unprecedented efforts to address the needs of the world's poorest, and attracting business returns. Take the case of Celtel, a pan-African telecommunications group. Celtel began offering mobile-banking in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2003, when security in that country was still poor and the banking sector debilitated. Celpay, the service they offer, uses encrypted message technology to allow customers to wire funds across the country. As a result, Celtel now has over two million subscribers, and has created thousands of jobs and trained local technicians and a sales force throughout the country. The innovative financial service it provides has allowed many formal and informal businesses to grow