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New RBI plan could bring bad news for m-wallets like Paytm and Mobikwik
Mobile wallet company executives last week expressed their concerns to Reserve Bank of India officials over the proposed guidelines for the sector, in their formal feedback to the regulator on them. RBI had issued draft guidelines for prepaid payment instrument (PPI) licence holders in March and several had flagged issues such as know your customer (KYC) norms.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments
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Report: Crowdfunding Potential in Nigeria
Crowdfunding is a global phenomenon but it is obviously evolving at different speeds in different countries. Africa is one region where the new form of finance can be utilized to benefit the economy. A recent report published by the CrowdfundingHub highlights a single country in Africa: Nigeria.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- crowdfunding
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Special Investigation Team to Probe Allegations of Misconduct Against Indian Microfinance Institutions
Government on Wednesday announced that a four-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) will probe allegations of misconduct against micro-finance institutions.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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How to Pull Water Out of Thin Air, Even in the Driest Parts of the Globe
Scientists have developed a device that can suck water out of desert skies, powered by sunlight alone. They hope that a version of the technology could eventually supply clean drinking water in some the driest and poorest parts of the globe.
- Categories
- Technology
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Viewpoint: The Future Of Investment In PEPFAR: Understanding PEPFAR’s Multiple Economic, Health, And Diplomatic Impacts
There is much concern about the future of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, under the new administration. Since the creation of PEPFAR in 2003, the US has been the global leader in responding to the urgent need for the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, and the care of orphaned and vulnerable children affected by the disease. With bipartisan support in Congress, PEPFAR was initiated under the Bush administration and continued under the Obama administration.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Rescuing Myanmar’s farmers from the debt trap
WHEN Myo Than was a young man, his family had 12 hectares of farmland in Dala, a rural township just across the river from Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city. His mother sold most of it after his father died. Mr Myo Than grows rice on what’s left, but water shortages mean he reaps just one harvest each year. He borrows money from the Myanmar Agricultural Development Bank (MADB)—1.5m kyats ($1,100) this year, at an annual rate of 8%—to cover planting costs.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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The case against ethical investing
Don’t get me wrong: I’m a huge fan — to a problematic degree, some might argue — of socially responsible companies. That said, giving up on ‘good’ companies and embracing the 'bad' and the 'ugly' has its merits – both from a financial standpoint and an ethical one.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Tags
- ESG, impact investing
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A new asset class is gaining ground as investors turn socially and environmentally conscious
In one of its latest efforts to raise funds, Singaporean real estate developer City Developments Limited issued a green bond — a fixed income product with proceeds used to finance projects or activities that help the environment.
- Categories
- Investing
- Tags
- ESG, impact investing
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