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To Tax or Not to Tax Mobile Money: The Impact on Digital Financial Services in Africa and Beyond
Mobile money is widely seen as a promising engine for global development. But governments in Africa are also increasingly viewing it as a lucrative source of tax revenue. With critics raising concerns about the impact of taxing mobile money and other digital financial services, Adrienne Lees and Phil Mader at the Institute of Development Studies explore whether existing research can inform any confident predictions about the effects of these taxes on providers, customers and the broader financial inclusion sector.
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- Finance, Telecommunications
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Bringing the Digital Media Revolution to Africa: How Innovative Local Publications are Positioning Themselves for Rapid Growth
In Africa, legacy media outlets – both foreign and domestic – are often criticized for being politically biased and racially tone-deaf, while overlooking topics of critical importance to the public. But according to Tomiwa Aladekomo at Big Cabal Media, a new generation of digital publications are highlighting the issues and perspectives that legacy publishers have avoided. He explores how these innovators are navigating the inherent difficulties facing the media industry in Africa, while linking the journalistic strengths of traditional media to the youthful energy and global reach of social media.
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- Technology, Telecommunications
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On the Edge of Edge: Why Advancements in Edge Computing Could Shift the Paradigm for Remote Connectivity, Internet of Things and Digital Development
Edge computing brings both computation and data storage closer to internet users: It uses servers installed on cell towers to deliver content directly to consumers’ devices, instead of transmitting it from distant hubs across a cellular network. As digital development expert Troy Etulain explains, edge computing offers compelling benefits for remote internet users, and for the development projects and businesses that hope to reach them. He explores the momentum behind this technology – and how it can be leveraged to boost rural internet connectivity and accomplish other goals.
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- Technology, Telecommunications
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Going Farther Together: A Recent Report Explores How Partnerships are Boosting Financial Inclusion in Nigeria
Nigeria missed its central bank’s target of 80% financial inclusion by 2020, and a new target has been set for 95% inclusion by 2024. According to Olayinka David-West and Ibukun Taiwo at the Lagos Business School, partnerships are an effective way to pursue this goal and serve the 38 million citizens who lack financial access. They share findings from a recent report that explores the state of Nigeria's digital financial services market, and highlight the critical success factors that can impact the effectiveness of partnerships in advancing financial inclusion.
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- Finance, Telecommunications
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How Cross-Industry Collaboration Can Spur the Digitalisation of the Last-Mile Distribution Sector
Last-mile distributors play a critical role in bringing energy and other life-changing products and services to customers in sub-Saharan Africa, and digitalisation is key to enabling these companies to operate at scale. But as Javier Baranda Alonso at Energy 4 Impact explains, both distributors and digital service providers often struggle to understand and service each other’s needs. He shares insights from a research report that highlights ways to accelerate the digitalisation of last-mile distribution by building bridges between the two sectors.
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- Energy, Social Enterprise, Technology, Telecommunications
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How Low- to Middle-Income Internet Users View Data Privacy and Protection: New Research From India and the United States
One side effect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the increased adoption and expansion of digital services, including among low- to middle-income users. Decodis CEO Daryl Collins argues that it is becoming increasingly important to create a sense of inclusion and confidence among these consumers, as their usage of these services grows. She shares research findings that show how a sample of low- to middle-income customers in the U.S. and India are navigating the digital world – and what they think about the data-sharing these services are based on.
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- Technology, Telecommunications
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Digital Finance for Climate Resilience: An Urgent Opportunity for Startups and Stakeholders in Emerging Markets
The consequences of climate change are no longer hypothetical scenarios or predictions – they are a global reality, and they’re getting worse, especially for the poor and vulnerable. But according to Malika Anand at BFA Global's Catalyst Fund, this crisis presents an opportunity for digital finance to power greater climate resilience. She explores several types of climate resilience solutions, and shares a framework to help both digital finance and climate stakeholders begin allocating more resources toward these solutions in emerging markets.
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- Environment, Finance, Telecommunications
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How to Solve Clean Cooking for 4 Billion People: The Disruptive Potential of the ‘Impact Flywheel’
Roughly 4 billion people lack access to clean cooking technology. This leads to almost four million annual deaths, particularly among women and girls, and costs the global economy approximately $2.4 trillion each year. But though these challenges have persisted despite many high-profile efforts to address them, Ben Jeffreys of ATEC* International argues that clean cooking is uniquely solvable with the right technology and business models. He discusses how the flywheel model could unlock the disruptive potential of clean cooking technologies to create sustainable change.
- Categories
- Energy, Telecommunications