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It Pays to Use Prepaid Cards to Deliver Services to MFI Clients: Study
There is good scope for the use of prepaid cards for delivery of value-added financial services to the clients of micro-finance institutions (MFIs), says a new study.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Banks vs e-Wallets: Who Is Winning in Cashless India?
When two of the biggest banks in the country resist wallets from fintech start-ups, you know a few things are simmering. First, SBI disallowed its net banking users to top up third party wallets and next, ICICI blocked transactions on PhonePe, a Flipkart managed wallet that was launched in partnership with YES Bank - PhonePe allows users to link bank accounts to the smartphone through the National Payments Corporation of India's encrypted software.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- fintech
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Nigeria: Central Bank Bars Banks From Virtual Currency Transactions
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Tuesday, banned banks from all transactions in bitcoin and other virtual currencies. A circular signed by the apex bank's director, financial policy and regulation department, Kelvin Amugo, stated that the move was necessitated by money laundering and terrorism financing risks inherent in operations of virtual currencies.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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Mastercard helps expand financial inclusion in Pakistan by optimizing National ID cards with e-payment functionality
Mastercard, a leading technology company in the global payments industry, announced a strategic collaboration with Pakistan’s NADRA Technologies to optimize National ID cards with electronic payments functionality. The move will allow Pakistani citizens to carry out financial transactions and receive government disbursements by utilizing the unique 13-digit identification number of their identity card.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- North Africa & Near East
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New CGAP Survey Finds Technology Alone Cannot Deliver Successful Interoperability in Digital Financial Services
No matter how well designed the technology, interoperability in digital financial services will not reach its full potential unless the right business structure and incentives are in place, CGAP found in its new report, Digital Finance Interoperability and Financial Inclusion: A 20-Country Scan.
- Categories
- Technology
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How This Tech Startup Drew the Attention of Gavi, Gates and Google
Google.org has announced a new partnership to support Nexleaf Analytics, a Los Angeles-based startup that builds wireless sensors turning everyday objects like refrigerators and cookstoves into connected devices.
- Categories
- Technology
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IFC, The MasterCard Foundation, and FINCA Support Expansion of Financial Inclusion in Democratic Republic of Congo
IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, together with The MasterCard Foundation, on January 17 announced a cooperation agreement valued at $1 million with microfinance institution FINCA in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Under the agreement, FINCA will expand access to credit and digital financial services for low-income people and small-scale entrepreneurs.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Novel R&D tool to unravel genetic diseases in Africa
A new research tool — genomics array — developed specifically for genomic and epidemiological research in Africa could enable researchers efficiently look at genetic diversity of African populations.
- Categories
- Health Care, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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