the same trap has ensnared micro-finance. the industry is periodically threatened with shutdowns, especially in india, because of outcries over interest rates, even though the average rate charged by indian microfinance institutions is among the lowest in the world: 25 percent to 27 percent. the real problem is that microfinancier have sometimes appeared to be profiting on the backs of the poor, less because of their interest rates than because of policies that ignore social value. many microfinance firms assume they are doing the poor a service just by offering lower rates than moneylenders do. they appear not to recognize that many of their clients, despite getting loans, have been unable to achieve a higher standard of living. as a result, the companies become scapegoats when customers face tough economic times.