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Viewpoint: MFIs Revival: Does India Really Need a New Microfinance Institution?
Instead of promoting a new social microfinance institution, the government should build on the existing and vibrant microfinance sector to cater to its envisioned need.
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- Technology
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- microfinance
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Viewpoint: The Critical Role of Microfinance Institutions Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
Microfinance Institutions (MFIs) have been critical in providing financial services for these vulnerable people and like their clients, MFIs are negatively affected by the economic impacts of the crisis.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Technology
- Tags
- microfinance
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The Game-Changing Potential of a Regulatory Sandbox: Why Creating a Safe Space for Digital Innovation Is a Necessity for Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh
While Bangladesh has made notable progress in accelerating financial inclusion, around 50% of Bangladeshis still remain unbanked. As Jakirul Islam at Bank Asia points out, this highlights a need for more technological disruption – and more regulatory innovation. He explores the potential of a “regulatory sandbox” approach, in which the government provides a safe harbor for businesses to test inventive new products, services and business models.
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- Finance, Technology
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Why Mobile Money Growth Remains Stunted in Nigeria
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) published the Financial Inclusion Strategy (FIS) setting financial inclusion target of 80 percent realisation this year. Due to challenges within the system, the apex bank revised it last year to 95 percent by 2024. Mobile money, a veritable tool for achieving this ambitious goal, remains in the limbo because of certain factors.
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- Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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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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India’s Self-Help Groups Need Help: How to Strengthen a Proven Model to Support Women’s Recovery From the COVID-19 Crisis
Women’s empowerment is a growing focus in the development sector, but COVID-19 is putting the hard-won progress women have made in recent years at risk. Moin Qazi highlights one way to support women in emerging countries: the self-help group model. He discusses how these groups operate in India, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they could be leveraged to address the current crisis.
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- Coronavirus, Education, Finance, Impact Assessment
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A Sector in Ruins or ‘Building Back Better’? Findings From e-MFP’s Covid-19 Financial Inclusion Compass
With the COVID-19 pandemic and the global recession it has triggered, the financial inclusion sector is facing perhaps the greatest crisis in its modern history. In response, the European Microfinance Platform repurposed this year's Financial Inclusion Compass survey for this critical moment. Sam Mendelson discusses the results, and what they say about the sector's priorities, challenges and prospects for recovery.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Investing
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The Future of Microfinance: An Interview With Ira W. Lieberman
Though its profile is somewhat lower than in its heyday, microfinance remains a relevant player in the development sector, supporting some 200 million people worldwide. A new book, “The Future of Microfinance,” contemplates the industry's tumultuous evolution and future development. NextBillion spoke with Ira W. Lieberman, a co-editor of the book, to discuss its thought-provoking insights.
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- Finance