3 Amendments of Alyn SMITH related to 2008/2122(INI)
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. However, emphasises that micro- credit should be complementary to, and not a replacement for, existing public social safety nets, and micro-credit programmes should not be used as an excuse to cut public social welfare programmes;
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to encourage the development of permanent local microfinance institutions, such as credit unions, particularly in poor and marginal neighbourhoods, and in rural areas; calls on the Commission and Member States to focus efforts on the training of personnel in these areas in microfinance skills;
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Expresses concern at the proposal to lift interest rate caps on micro-credit, as excessively high interest rates have the potential to trap microfinance users in a vicious cycle of debt, thus defeating the purpose of micro-credit; urges the Commission and Member States to exercise extreme caution in interest rate policy.