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The Missing Link in the Blockchain: The Need for Trust in a ‘Trustless’ System
Blockchain has become the ultimate tech buzzword, and development organizations are seeking to apply it in projects of every stripe. But as Rose Davis discovered in researching the technology’s social impact applications for Stanford, reliable digital identification is an essential precursor to many blockchain initiatives. Does a distributed ledger that has supposedly transcended the need for centralized oversight actually require some form of verification from trustworthy authorities? And if so, who should provide it? Davis explores these questions in this thought-provoking post.
- Categories
- Technology
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Viewpoint: Tax on internet, mobile cash will dim ‘Silicon Savannah’ dream
Kenya is a rising star in ICT and is fondly referred to as the “Silicon Savannah”. ICT exhibits potential to be a key player in turning around an overburdened economy and could even haul Kenya into industrialisation. Over-taxing it is hardly the way to run around the wheel and reinvent growth.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
- Tags
- fintech, public policy, regulations
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Zimbabwe is hiking mobile money taxes to plug its fiscal deficit, but it could backfire
In a country with a history of cash shortages, multiple currencies and hyperinflation, mobile money had become a key payment alternative. Cash is hardly ever accessible in Zimbabwe as banks frequently run out of monetary notes, leaving mobile money and bank cards as the only transaction options.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Introducing the Mobile Money Regulatory Index
The Mobile Money Regulatory Index is intended to support dialogue between regulators and mobile money providers on reforms that can promote market growth. For the development community, the Index will help identify subject areas and markets where technical assistance to governments and regulators can have the biggest impact.
- Categories
- Finance
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Moving Past Microfinance: How India’s Small Finance Banks Aim to Take Financial Inclusion to the Next Level
The proliferation of microfinance in India has been a double-edged sword: On the one hand, MFIs have reached customers that most mainstream banks have overlooked. On the other, a lack of clear regulation and oversight has had devastating consequences for some borrowers. But regulators have responded with a new category of financial institution, the “small finance bank.” Andreas Nilsson and Nina Freudenberg of Sonanz explore the evolution of these institutions and whether a wider range of products could also mean deeper social impact.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
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Regulatory Sandbox: What it Could Mean for Kenya
This comes at a time when the country is experiencing a growth in mobile lending, cryptocurrency use, and recommendations to apply blockchain technology in various sectors.
- Categories
- Finance
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Safaricom Blames Regulator for Underinvestment by Kenyan Rivals
Kenyan lawmakers are studying a report by U.K.-based advisory group Analysys Mason that found Safaricom to be a dominant player in mobile money and mobile communications.
- Categories
- Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Telecoms, Bank of Uganda want mobile money tax scrapped
Starting July 1, 2018 government introduced a 1% tax on all mobile money transactions and Shs 200/daily levy on social media usage. Following public outcry and pressure, government has since tabled an amendment bill, Excise Duty Amendment Bill No. 2, 2018 to have the mobile money tax reduced to 0.5% and only limited to withdrawals.
- Categories
- Finance, Telecommunications
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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