World Bank, IFC launch advisory program in MENA to improve MSME access to finance: The World Bank Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) are launching the second phase of an advisory program to improve access to finance for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in MENA countries including Egypt, according to an emailed statement (pdf). The program — on which the World Bank and IFC are cooperating with the Netherlands, Switzerland, the UK, and Sweden — will also be implemented in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, and Palestine. The program, which pays particular attention to women entrepreneurs and businesses geared towards financial inclusion, “involved enhancing the enabling environment, developing financial market infrastructure, and building the technical and funding capacity of financial intermediaries.”