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How Digitizing Agricultural Input Payments in Rural Kenya is Tackling Poverty: The Case of One Acre Fund
Since 2014, OAF has enabled farmers in Kenya to make loan repayments digitally using the mobile money service M-Pesa instead of in cash, increasing economic opportunity and financial inclusion in some of the world’s poorest farming communities.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Viewpoint: Think Twice About Going Cashless
Even now, after the chaos caused by India's decision last November to eliminate nearly 90 percent of its banknotes, few people would argue with the policy's underlying assumption: Going cashless is, if handled well, a good thing. Yet the fact is, most arguments in favor of demonetization don't stand up to scrutiny. And those that do should raise other concerns.
- Categories
- Technology
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State Bank of Pakistan approves launch of the country’s first free mobile wallet service
Mobile payment app SimSim became Pakistan’s first free mobile wallet service after the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) approved the official launch of the service – a move the company said would boost financial inclusion in the country.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Can digital credit work for development?
The rise of digital banking means that people around the world can now borrow, save or pay with their mobile phones. Digital credit providers are using alternative sources of data to determine creditworthiness and provide loans to populations that have never had access to them before.
But while these products offer a convenient way for consumers to access cash for personal or business expenses, they also present risks. If borrowers do not understand the loan terms, or take out more than they are able to repay, the result can be bankruptcy.- Categories
- Technology
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Omise to raise $19M in first cryptocurrency sale from a major VC-backed startup
Kik has raised over $120 million from investors to date and it claims 300 million registered users, making it the most established company to throw its hat in the ICO ring thus far, but it is about to be beaten to the punch by Omise, a Thailand-based company that provides Stripe-like payment features in Japan and Southeast Asia.
- Categories
- Technology
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Reserve Bank of India allows co-operative banks to issue mobile wallets
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed co-operative banks, who are permitted to install ATMs and issue debit cards, to also issue prepaid payment instruments PPIs like mobile wallets.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- mobile finance
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This refugee aid app was built over a weekend. Now hundreds of nonprofits rely on it.
Taylor is behind the Refugee Aid app, or RefAid, which connects refugees with crucial services when and where they need them most. More than 400 of the largest aid organizations in the world—from the Red Cross to Save the Children to Doctors of the World—all use it.
- Categories
- Technology
- Tags
- nonprofits, refugees
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Inside India’s Plans To Leapfrog The Western Model Of Car Ownership
If successful, the shift would save the country $60 billion in diesel and gas costs in 2030. Instead of 170 million cars, the number expected with the current trajectory, there would be 77 million. CO2 emissions from passenger transport would drop 37% compared to the business-as-usual scenario; energy use in passenger transport would drop 64%.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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