-
The Informal Economy is Complicating Government Responses to COVID-19: Will the Crisis Push Millions Toward Formality?
As COVID-19 devastates the global economy, many governments have designed support measures to help businesses and workers survive. But as Jill Lagos Shemin and James Dailey point out, this support may be ineffective in lower-income countries, where most small businesses and their employees work in the informal economy, lacking bank accounts and even valid ID. They explore some solutions governments can pursue – and trade-offs they will have to accept.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship, Finance
-
Brazil Sees Surge in Uptake of Government Services Online
Covid-19 outbreak prompts citizens to rush to the platform, which has been expanded to support service provision during the crisis.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Technology
- Region
- Latin America
-
New Data and Technologies are Transforming Energy Access – Public Policy Must Catch Up
Technologies like geospatial imagery, machine learning and affordable batteries are generating ever more innovative ways to target customers with off-grid energy solutions. But according to analysts at the Duke University Energy Access Project, public policy is struggling to keep up with these rapid-fire developments, leaving vast amounts of human capacity and productivity untapped. They explore how to address this disconnect between government and the private sector.
- Categories
- Energy
-
A Best Practice in the Making? How Dominica is Building the World’s First Climate Resilient Nation
In 2017, Hurricane Maria left unprecedented devastation in the Commonwealth of Dominica, with damages and losses amounting to 226% of the Caribbean nation's GDP. But according to Pepukaye Bardouille and Colin Scaife at the Climate Resilience Execution Agency for Dominica, the country has responded with a plan that could serve as an important pilot case for developing resilience in the age of climate change.
- Categories
- Environment
-
Preventing Coronavirus in an Age of Distrust: The Importance of Cross-Sector Collaboration
As the coronavirus pandemic spreads, public health institutions are playing an essential role in containing the virus. Unfortunately, as Steve Schmida at Resonance points out, trust in large institutions is at an all-time low in many countries – and this is a major impediment to preventing the spread of the virus. He explores how governments can partner with both private enterprises and non-profits to boost public trust and promote efforts to contain coronavirus.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Health Care
-
Social Enterprise Ghana begins advocacy for impact investing policy
Social Enterprise Ghana with funding from BUSAC, DANIDA and USAID has begun advocacy to ensure policymakers and government pass and adopt the social enterprise and impact investing policy. According to Edwin Zu-Cudjoe, the Executive Director of Social Enterprise Ghana, the policy will enable the over 28,000 social enterprises operating in the country to be recognised as such and be able to register as social enterprises with the Registrar General's Department.
- Categories
- Entrepreneurship, Investing
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
This Digital Platform Fights Corruption by Bypassing the Officials Demanding Bribes
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the tax payment system could require many kickbacks to corrupt officials. A new digital platform lets people pay their taxes directly.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
-
The Emergence of ‘SupTech’ – And How it Can Move Past the Experimentation Stage
“Suptech” describes tech innovation that enhances regulators' supervision of financial service providers. According to Arend Kulenkampff at BFA, it is leveraging Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to radically improve the oversight capacity of financial authorities and lessen the regulatory burden for providers, boosting financial innovation and inclusion. But as the suptech field develops, questions are emerging about exactly what it includes – and whether it's stuck in experimentation mode.
- Categories
- Finance
Parent Organization
