Briefs: Government keen on crowdfunding, Macquarie launches PUMA securitisation, Australia Ratings r 03 February 2015 4:17PM Banking Day staff Briefs, The Government has indicated that it will take up the Financial System Inquiry recommendation that it facilitate greater use of crowdfunding as a way of financing small business in Australia, according to a report in the Australian Financial Review. The Minister for Small Business, Bruce Billson, told a meeting of of technology start-ups and venture capital investors yesterday that the Government was working on a model for crowdfunding. Billson said there needed to be alternatives to bank funding for small business. Macquarie Bank is the first issuer to enter the mortgage securitisation market this year, with the launch yesterday of PUMA Series 2015-1. Macquarie is seeking A$500 million of funding. The securities are backed by a pool of full-documentation loans, which have 100 per cent mortgage insurance cover and an average loan-to-valuation ratio of 64.8 per cent. Loans with LVRs of more than 80 per cent make up 16.9 per cent of the pool. Australia Ratings yesterday said it assigned credit ratings and product complexity indicators to a further 12 debt and hybrid securities listed on the ASX. Half of the 12 are hybrids issued by Westpac, with Australia Ratings assigning a rating of AA- in line with those of major ratings agencies. The ratings have been issued as part of the ASX's Debt and Hybrid Research Scheme under which Australia Ratings was appointed in November 2014 to assign credit ratings to debt and hybrid securities traded on the ASX. Kiwibank is contesting Westpac New Zealand's attempt to trademark the "HomeSaver" trademark with New Zealand's Intellectual Property Office. Kiwibank said it had used the phrase before Westpac launched a branded HomeSaver product late last year aimed at first-home buyers. Kiwibank and Westpac spokesmen said the two banks were now in discussions over Kiwibank's decision to lodge a formal objection with the IPO. "Kiwibank has used this in the past for promotions and believes the term is generic, and therefore should not be trade-marked," Kiwibank spokesman Bruce Thompson said. UK banking group Lloyds is preparing to pay a dividend for the first time since it was bailed out with taxpayer during the financial crisis, according to reports. The resumption of dividend payments after more than six years will be an important milestone for the British Government, which is looking to sell its equity in the bank. In December Lloyds passed another milestone when it passed a Bank of England stress test.