Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They
AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German
Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who
By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an
Navigation
Primary Navigation
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Secondary Navigation
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Search
Search:
China may legalise unofficial banks: report
AFP - 7 minutes ago
BEIJING (AFP) - - China may legalise its thriving unofficial sector of "underground banks" in an attempt to help companies which have seen credit dry up recently, state media reported Monday.
Under the regulation drafted by the central bank, companies and individuals will be allowed to extend loans if they do not have bad credit or criminal records, the Beijing Times reported.
But they are banned from accepting deposits, and their lending rate should be kept within four times the government-set benchmark interest rate, it added.
"China's credit market is monopolised by banks and the introduction of the regulation will break the monopoly by enabling qualified lenders to register and lend," said Liu Ping, an official with the central bank's research bureau.
"It can help resolve the problem of hard access to loans suffered by small and medium-sized enterprises," she said, according to the newspaper.
Private lending will serve mainly smaller companies and farmers who can use their property as collateral, according to the draft regulation, which has been submitted to the Cabinet for review.
Unofficial lending in China covers everything from loans among relatives to mafia-style operations, where failing to pay back one's debt can mean death.
It has been a crucial link in providing finance for private enterprises that might often lack the connections to obtain loans from state-owned banks.
The central bank found in a survey that pawnbroking houses and "underground banks" have been thriving to an unprecedented extent in coastal regions, said the Beijing Times.
Lending rates in some areas reached as high as 300 percent, with the average standing at between 12 and 15 percent, it added.
The current benchmarking one-year lending rate at commercial banks is 6.66 percent.
Email Story
IM Story
Printable View
Blog This
Recommend this article
Average (0 votes)
Sign in to recommend this article »
Most Recommended Stories »
Related Articles: China's Economy
China may legalise unofficial banks: reportAFP - 7 minutes ago
Emerging debt-Asia bond spreads widen as recession spreadsReuters - 44 minutes ago
Singapore could see negative growth in 2009, PM warnsAFP - 1 hour 22 minutes ago
Asian stocks mixed as Japan slips into recessionAP - 1 hour 39 minutes ago
Related Articles: Business
China may legalise unofficial banks: reportAFP - 7 minutes ago
India Infosys says currency moves to impact Q3 revReuters - 23 minutes ago
Arianespace sees 2009 sales steady; eyes MideastReuters - 23 minutes ago
Japan firm recalls 8 mln bottles US mineral waterReuters - 26 minutes ago
JGBs rise, repo rate dip helps short-term bondsReuters - 28 minutes ago
Enlarge Photo
China may legalise unofficial banks: report
Related Full Coverage
China Economy
china economy
All Full Coverage
Most Popular – Business
Viewed
US space-funeral company plans to launch lunar cemetery
Obama thinking big, despite crisis
Prince Charles wants to speak out as king: biographer
Earth would be heading to a freeze without CO2 emissions
Democrats face White House opposition to new economic plan
View Complete List »
Search:
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular