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More banks given go-ahead to roll out mobile cash in Kenya
The number of commercial banks approved by the Central Bank of Kenya to operate interbank mobile money transfer platform, PesaLink, has doubled to 24 from 12. The product was unveiled on February 16.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Cambodia caps interest on microfinance loans
The National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) has capped interest on microfinance loans to a maximum of 18 percent per year, an unprecedented move that came on the direct orders of Prime Minister Hun Sen, Defence Minister Tea Banh said yesterday – a decision some experts suggested had political overtones and could have unintended negative consequences for the poor.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Morgan Stanley Wealth Management Launches Two Sustainable Investing Portfolios with Reduced Account Minimums
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management today announced the launch of two sustainable investing model portfolios with reduced account minimums of $10,000 on its Investing with Impact platform. These new portfolios – Investing with Impact Access Balanced and Investing with Impact Access Equity – will provide investors with diversified goal-specific solutions to help align financial goals with personal values
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- North America
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Safaricom and mSurvey launch Consumer Wallet to map Africa’s cash economy
Kenya’s leading mobile provider, Safaricom, is teaming up with data collection startup mSurvey to launch Consumer Wallet ― an online platform using mobile and SMS to map Africa’s cash-based economy.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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FinTech’s Elephant Seal Problem
Like the elephant seal, most fintech companies are focused on growing as large as possible. That means they usually choose a free business model to facilitate growth. Kristen Berman and Wendy De La Rosa of the Common Cents Lab say there's a better way: Abandon the free model and focus on removing the true psychological barriers to financial management.
- Categories
- Technology
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Study: Is India’s flagship financial inclusion initiative bearing fruit on the ground?
There is a big debate about the role of financial markets and products in shaping consumer welfare and real economic activity. In developed economies, there is an increasing discussion that financial sector may have become inefficiently large and products offered to households may have become excessively complex. In contrast, in many developing countries, like India, there has been a significant push to increase the usage of financial products – to “complete” the market. While there is some empirical literature on the former, evidence on the latter is scant.
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- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
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Easypaisa to part ways with Telenor Pakistan
Telenor Pakistan launched Easypaisa in 2009 with the approval of the State Bank of Pakistan. ProPakistani reported that Easypaisa, which is Telenor Pakistan’s Mobile Financial Services Division, will be transferred to Tameer Microfinance Bank. Telenor Group wholly acquired Tameer Bank last year. At that time, it was announced that Telenor Pakistan will transfer the management of Easypaisa to Tameer.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- North Africa & Near East
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WFP Launches First Mobile Cash Transfers For Humanitarian Assistance In Myanmar
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched the first pilot programme using mobile cash transfers for humanitarian assistance in Myanmar. Between 27 February and 1 March, 112 conflict-affected internally displaced families in three camps in Myitkyina Township of Kachin State received a monthly electronic credit allocation of MMK 9,000 (US$ 7) per person for vulnerable households.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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