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Making it Easier to Go Digital: Lowering barriers to entry for pro-poor financial institutions in Uganda
In December 2014 Airtel Uganda launched a mobile banking service to allow bank customers to access their accounts through mobile money agents. These services allow pro-poor financial institutions to reach rural Ugandans, but forging these digital connections is complex. In the third post in their series on what it takes for microfinance institutions to go digital, Grameen Foundation explores ways to overcome this complexity.
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Prime Minister Modi Launches MUDRA Bank, Expected to Benefit 5.77 crore Microfinance Institutions in India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched MUDRA Bank under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana. This will provide credit of up to Rs 10 lakh to small entrepreneurs and act as a regulator for 'Micro-Finance Institutions' (MFIs).
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- South Asia
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- microfinance
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Papua New Guinea Commits to Digitising All Government Payments
The Government of Papua New Guinea (PNG) has joined the Better Than Cash Alliance with endorsements from Minister for Finance, James Marape and Minister for Treasury, Patrick Pruaitch.
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- digital payments
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Financial Planning Lessons From Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
That Narendra Modi is a skilful orator is not news, but to hear him in person and to see him use ground-level common sense to drive home financial lessons to an auditorium full of bankers is quite an experience. The venue was the 80th birthday party of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Mumbai. And in case you were wondering, as I did, as to why celebrate 80 years rather than the global norm of 75 or 100, Modi said that 80 years is special to Indians because it marks the sahastra darshan or the 1,000 viewings of the full moon by a person who turns 80.
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Uganda: Central Bank to Investigate MTN
Bank of Uganda (BoU) officials are planning a major investigation into MTN Mobile Money dealings following an expose by The Independent.
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- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Equity Bank MVNO Moves in on Kenya’s Mobile Money Market
Mobile virtual number operator Finserve Africa Limited (trading as Equitel) has made its mark in the Kenyan mobile money market, overtaking veterans such as Orange Money during October and December of last year.
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- Sub-Saharan Africa
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No Distance Left to Run: India Post Shutters the Traditional Money Order Service
As Bob Dylan would croak, “oh the times they are-a changing”. India Post is quietly retiring its traditional money order service which facilitated pan-India door-delivery of funds to a payee from over 155,000 post offices, reports IANS. Shikha Mathur Kumar, the deputy director general for finance confirmed to the publication and added that India Post will be pushing the electronic money orders (eMO) and instant money orders (iMO).
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- South Asia
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How to Stop Worrying and Love the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
China launched the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in October of 2014 and has met with nothing but opposition from the United States. Officially, the objection cited by the United States is a lack of clarity about AIIB’s governance, as well as concerns about whether the AIIB will adhere to strict environmental and labor standards in its operations. It is clear, however, that U.S. opposition also derives from fears that the AIIB — spearheaded by China and part of China’s “New Silk Road” strategy — will diminish U.S. leadership in the region.
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- South Asia
