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Harnessing the Potential of Digital Finance for Women
Sixty-two percent of the world’s adult population now has access to a bank account. But in spite of this progress, gender gaps in digital and overall financial inclusion are increasing, and there's a growing awareness that access alone doesn't equal empowerment. Madji Sock and Katrina Kwan of Dalberg Advisors discuss strategies to close this growing gap and ensure that women are not left behind by the digital revolution in financial services.
- Categories
- Finance
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Mercy Corps and Mastercard Take Fintech to Farmers
Humanitarian agency Mercy Corps is partnering with Mastercard Foundation to push for adoption of technology to benefit millions of small-scale Kenyan farmers for better food production and ending perennial shortages.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Nigeria to wield axe on failing mobile money brands
The newspaper tipped the majority of the 21 companies operating services in the country to fall foul of tough new cash requirements. Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rules, effective from the end of December 2017, stated operators must have NGN1 billion ($2.8 million) in reserves.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech, mobile finance, regulations
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Kenya: Mobile money interoperability to launch in March 2018
Interoperability will also present consumers with choices of services and not being locked into one service or mobile network, given how costly it has been to transfer money between mobile money services.
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- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Digital transactions on the rise in India – but fall drastically short of 25-billion target
Only about 14.8 billion digital transactions were undertaken across India from April 1 to January 28, show data sourced from the ministry of electronics and IT (MeitY). This includes bank-to-bank electronic money transfers, digital wallet payments, Aadhaar-based and electronic toll payments.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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The ‘Strange Bedfellows’ Myth: How Fintechs and Financial Institutions Can Partner for Mutual Benefit – And Greater Financial Inclusion
The classic tech-meets-tradition narrative often portrays fintechs and established financial institutions as natural adversaries. But research from the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) and the Institute of International Finance found quite the opposite to be true. CFI's Sonja E. Kelly explores the report's findings, which detail the surprising scope for collaboration among these players – and the potential impact on low-income customers.
- Categories
- Finance, Impact Assessment
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Revolutionizing Payday: Mobile Money’s Transformative Impact on Liberia’s Public Workers
Imagine if every time you picked up your paycheck, you had to navigate a long and dangerous ride, deal with endless lines and cash shortages at the bank, and pay expensive fees and bribes – a process that cost you several work days and up to 15 percent of your salary. That used to be the situation facing health and education workers in Liberia, but the government’s innovative use of mobile money has turned things around. Erica Bustinza of FHI 360 oversees the program that made this possible, and she discusses its impact.
- Categories
- Finance, Technology
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Press release: TRANSFAST Partners With Bangladesh BRAC Bank and bKash Mobile Wallet for Global Money Transfers
Bangladeshi expatriates around the world can now send cross-border remittances to bKash Mobile Wallet users at any of TRANSFAST'S 200,000 payout locations in more than 120 countries. The funds can be either cashed out via bKash agent locations in Bangladesh, or can be utilized to make person to person fund transfers, top-up mobile airtime, pay bills, and shop in-store. TRANSFAST is the first money transfer company to partner with bKash to provide this service in Bangladesh.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- South Asia
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