Licensing of micro-lenders doubles
Friday, December 11, 2015
According to the regulatory authority’s 2015 annual report, the number of licensed micro-lenders increased to 166 in the review period from 73 registered in the prior year representing a 127 percent increase.
About 33 applications were withdrawn from the licensing process as some considered compliance to licensing requirements to be costly and burdensome.
Instead, it has sparked a storm of accusations, denials, and unresolved questions about the influence of De Beers on the nation’s politics. Former president Mokgweetsi Masisi’s claims that the diamond giants bankrolled his removal to dodge taxes – and that the new Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC) government watered down a favourable diamond deal – are explosive matters. But without evidence, they risk becoming a toxic distraction from...