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India Cuts Internet Around New Delhi as Protesting Farmers Clash With Police
Internet access remained blocked Monday in several districts of a state bordering India's capital following violent weekend clashes between police and farmers protesting controversial agricultural reforms.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Tags
- public policy
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Insurance in the Age of COVID-19: The Pandemic Highlights the Need for a New Approach
With much of the world on lockdown due to COVID-19, many businesses are closing down – either temporarily or permanently – with devastating effects on individual welfare and entire economies. This has amplified the importance of insurance, says Kate Rinehart-Smit at Cenfri. She explores how the sector can make a greater impact – not only on the resilience of businesses and individuals, but on broader economic development.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance
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Disconnects Between Minigrid Policy Stakeholders Keep Sector’s Bankability at Bay
Minigrids have yet to scale on a trajectory reflective of their massive potential.
- Categories
- Energy, Finance, Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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From Financial Inclusion To Inclusive Finance: The Power of Frameworks To Catalyse Change
In this age of information, we increasingly rely on data to inform our decisions. But as Amrik Heyer at FSD Kenya points out, the utility of data for guiding policy and investment depends on the paradigms and frameworks which influence our thinking. She discusses the power of frameworks in shaping research and informing financial inclusion policy and investment, using the example of the FinAccess survey in Kenya.
- Categories
- Finance, Investing, Technology
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Viewpoint: Can Economics Trump Politics To Usher in Agricultural Reforms in India?
Indian agriculture has a fundamental problem: around 50 per cent of India’s work force in the agriculture sector contribute only 17 per cent to India’s GDP. This low productivity is the root cause of the low income and economic hardships of farmers.
- Categories
- Agriculture, Finance
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- governance, public policy
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Necessity Is the Mother of Disruption: How Indonesia’s Fintech Startups Can Survive the Do-Or-Die Situation of COVID-19
Indonesia is a silent giant in the startup ecosystem, with over 2,200 startups nationwide – many in the fintech sector. However, with the onset of COVID-19, this progress is at risk of dissipating. Anshul Saxena and Sheila Teta Carina at MicroSave Consulting recommend several measures that can help sustain fintech startups' momentum during the pandemic.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Finance, Technology
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Analysis: 3 Steps for Emerging Markets to Recover From COVID-19
The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emerging market economies far exceeded that of the global financial crisis. Unlike previous crises, the response has been decisive just like in advanced economies. Yet, conventional policies are reaching their limit and unorthodox policies are not without risks.
- Categories
- Coronavirus, Health Care
- Tags
- public policy
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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