By Leke Akeredolu, The Nation - The Ondo State government  on Tuesday started its industrialisation policy with the payment of  N2 billion  Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund to empower small and medium scale entrepreneurs and cooperative groups in the manufacturing and processing of value addition projects. The Bank of... 

By Neelasri Barman, Daily News & Analysis - After burning their fingers with microfinance institutions (MFIs), banks plan to speed up lending to self-help groups (SHGs) instead. The view changed after collections by MFIs in Andhra Pradesh deteriorated considerably and there were initial signs of the contagion spreading to other states. An SHG... 

From The Daily Star, Lebanon - BEIRUT: The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) indicated that the microfinance sector in Lebanon has seen substantial growth in recent years and is expected to continue to expand. It said, however, that the industry remains underdeveloped and suffers from a lack of regulation, measurement... 

From The Daily Star, Bangladesh - Standard Chartered Bank and MicroSave have launched a risk management toolkit for micro-finance institutions in partnership with Credit and Development Forum (CDF). The toolkit aims to sup-port microfinance in Bangladesh and strengthen relationship with stakeholders, StanChart said in a statement yesterday. The... 

From NDTV Profit - Year 2010 saw the fortunes of the Rs. 25,000-crore microfinance industry oscillate between capital market glory and regulatory gloom and the sunrise sector is now looking forward to a New Year devoid of usurious interest rate controversies and credit crunches. As 2010 winds up, the story of SKS Microfinance’s bombastic... 

From Economic Times India - MUMBAI: HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh has decried Andhra Pradesh Government for “hastily” passing a legislation regulating micro lenders, stating many independent directors of MFIs have quit in its aftermath. The passing of the Andhra Pradesh Microfinance Institutions (Regulation of Moneylending) Act on December... 

By Victoria Chelsea, VAdvert.co.uk - Moscow – The Citi Foundation and the Russian Microfinance Center (RMC) have launched a program to support start-up entrepreneurs in five Russian regions. The participating regions will be selected at the beginning of 2011. Within the framework of the program, Citi, RMC and the Financial University under the... 

By Bernd Balkenhol, Director, ILO’s Social Finance Programme - The microfinance industry suffered a serious crisis in the Indian state of Andra Pradesh in recent months, resulting from a combination of factors, including overindebtedness among low-income households and massive growth of microfinance institutions (MFIs). The success of the MFIs... 

By Madhav Chanchani, VCCircle - Kerala-based Hope Microcredit Finance Ltd. has raised Rs 10 crore from  in what will be the first (disclosed) private equity investment in the Indian  microfinance sector after the crisis started in Andhra Pradesh. The funding, raised from Belgian investment firm Incofin Investment Management’s Rural Impulse... 

By Varun Sood, Daily News and Analysis - Banco Compartamos, the Mexican microfinance lender, has warned Andhra Pradesh policy wonks to resist from putting cap on microlending rates as such a step would force more people to go to the money lenders and prevent poor in the villages from accessing credit. The world’s first listed microfinance company...