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ADF Supports Digital Financial Inclusion for African Women With $6.95 Million
The Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Facility (ADFI), supported by the French Development Agency (AFD) and hosted by the African Development Bank (AfDB) has committed to financing digital financial inclusion in Africa with six grants totalling $ 6.95 million.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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In the Race for Dominance in African Fintech, Partnerships With Phone Makers Are Transforming the Landscape
Corporate partnerships and acquisitions have proliferated in Africa's fintech sector in recent years, as companies fight for dominance in the growing digital payment space. Digital economy analyst Jill Lagos Shemin highlights an emerging element of this trend: alliances between mobile phone makers and payment providers and telecom operators. She explores how these partnerships can boost customer access to smartphones and digital credit, while expanding Africa's digital finance ecosystem and building tech players' footprint in this sought-after market.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology, Telecommunications
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Viewpoint: Fintech Regulations, Financial Stability, and Data Privacy in India: So, What Is the Path to Go Forward?
In a recent development, the Delhi High Court received a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) from an applied economist, Reshmi P Bhaskaran, seeking to regulate the entry and operations of ‘TechFin’ platforms. Inter alia, the PIL asked the High Court to help develop a regulatory framework around the TechFin industry, also popularly known as the FinTech domain. Since then, the High Court has sought replies from various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Law, Ministry of Finance, RBI, SEBI, and NPCI regarding this issue.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Avoiding Another Crash: How Global Standards Set after the 2008 Crisis Prepared the Financial System to Weather COVID-19
International standard-setting bodies have been working to strengthen global financial stability ever since the 2008 crisis. And according to Robin Newnham at the Alliance for Financial Inclusion, they are now playing vitally important roles in the global response to COVID-19. He explores how the global financial system is seeing the benefits of the reforms of the past decade – and how these efforts can expand in the future.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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World Economic Forum Recommends Adopting Clear and Actionable Cybersecurity Guidelines for Fintech Firms
The Fintech Cybersecurity Consortium has been tasked with identifying how organizations can simplify their baseline cybersecurity requirements for Fintech services.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Combating Cybercrime in Emerging Economies: The Case for Regional Cybersecurity Centers to Protect the Finances of the Poor
Cybercrime is growing in emerging economies, threatening progress toward inclusive finance. And the poorest people tend to be the most at risk – and the least able to afford losing money. Though government and industry bodies have struggled to address the problem, David Medine at CGAP explains that solutions exist – including the formation of regional cybersecurity resource centers.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Press Release: Mastercard Partners With Tonik; Neobank to Accelerate Financial Inclusion for Filipinos
Mastercard announced today a new partnership agreement with Singapore-based tonik, a two-year-old startup which recently received a bank license in the Philippines. Mastercard will enable tonik to issue a range of electronic payments products that tap into Mastercard’s global network and extensive business intelligence when tonik launches operationally in the Philippines, later this year.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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Overthrowing the King: Could Central Bank Digital Currencies Replace Cash in Post-COVID-19 Africa?
Despite advances in digital technology, cash has remained the undisputed king of payments in sub-Saharan Africa. However, as Michaella Allen and Christine Hougaard at Cenfri explain, COVID-19 has placed a stigma on cash and led governments across the region to actively encourage digital payments. They explore the implications of this shift, and whether it could make central bank digital currencies a viable alternative.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Technology