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Zimbabwe Is Squeezing Its Top Mobile Money Platform for Users’ Data as It Clamps Down on the Media
The government has been at odds with the EcoCash for several months as its currency crisis and economic woes have spiraled out of its control. Last month Zimbabwe’s central bank slammed EcoCash for running, what it called, a Ponzi scheme.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- data, financial services, fintech, government, LMICs, mobile money
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Digital Identity Initiatives for Government Services See a Mix of Progress and Delay
“There is a strong push by the government for a national digital ID, which will be used by government and private sectors, to meet the needs to identify individuals accessing e-services and authenticate other secure transactions,” said NEC Corp of Malaysia Sdn Bhd MD Chong Kai Wooi.
- Categories
- Technology
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Zimbabwe Accuses Mobile Phone Operator Econet of Money Laundering
Zimbabwean police have issued a warrant against the largest mobile phone operator Econet Wireless to hand over a list of its mobile money transactions and subscribers because authorities suspect it of involvement in money laundering, according to the warrant.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Cash Transfers in the U.S. are Exploding: Here’s How to Make them Effective, During COVID-19 and Beyond
The U.S., like over 130 countries around the world, has deployed direct cash transfers to mitigate the hardships of COVID-19. But as Sheida Isabel Elmi and Rachel Black at the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program point out, many U.S. households were financially insecure even before the pandemic began. They argue that cash transfers should be an ongoing response to these vulnerabilities, and share research on how to leverage these programs for the fullest benefit.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Designing for Women: How COVID-19 Could Allow Government Payment Programs to Boost Women’s Economic Empowerment
Governments around the world are deploying government-to-person programs to address the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. But as Amanda Schwartz at IDEO.org points out, unless these programs are designed around women’s unique needs, they could exacerbate gender inequality and financial exclusion. She explores how a gender inclusive approach could "make the single biggest push for women’s economic empowerment that the world has ever seen."
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Entrepreneurship, Finance
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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
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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
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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
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