CGAPWhat questions should policymakers consider to ensure agents reach as many people as possible with assistance during and after the COVID-19 crisis? CGAP notes that of all existing cash-in and cash-out (CICO) networks the most far-reaching among low-income customers — agent networks — are struggling and often are overlooked by policymakers. CGAP lists three questions below
FIBRCatalyst Fund shares several examples of how its portfolio are helping customers in emerging economies through the COVID-19 crisis. By using their existing solutions and additional innovations, the fintechs are helping people access critical health insurance, send money to their families, access essential goods and services, and better manage current finances via financial advice. In
FIBRIndia should invest and expand the digital payment and commerce network and use it to facilitate social distancing and quarantine, the authors argue. The ongoing lockdown aimed at curbing the spread of the Coronavirus has affected various supply chains, disrupting both business and life leading states to adopt tech-enabled distribution. However, the authors write that
FIBRAt the end of March, BFA conducted a rapid assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the livelihoods of people in seven countries- Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Mexico, India, UK, US. The survey found that low-income and lower-middle-income families are experiencing a decrease in income, with a significant decrease recorded for Kenya, Mexico, and South
CGAPCGAP’s new publication examines the opportunities for humanitarian actors in Lebanon and Jordan to use the cash and voucher assistance (CVA) programs as a pathway to financial inclusion. Syrian refugees in the two countries receive more than a quarter of their humanitarian assistance in the form of cash and vouchers. CGAP observes that there are
FIBRThe Kenyan government can and should capitalize on the country’s unique digital financial infrastructure and provide direct cash transfers to help people weather the COVID-19 crisis, writes BFA’s CEO Amolo Ng’weno writes. The cash transfers, she writes, could immediately reach 83% of all adults through existing mobile money accounts. Already, the Kenyan government has digitized
GSMAThe number of mobile money accounts globally surpassed one billion according to the 2019 State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money published in March 2020 by GSMA. According to the report, there has been an increase in the number of providers and transactions implying that mobile money is entering the mainstream and becoming the
CGAPWhile international funders increased their commitments to women’s financial inclusion by 16 percent between 2016-2018, the funding gap between programs with a gender focus and those without remained big. Using 2018 data on funding for financial inclusion this analytical blog also shows that for example, more than half of the commitments for women’s financial inclusion
FIBRIn 2019, BFA and FSD Uganda launched the Financial Inclusion for Refugees Project to gain insight into the financial lives of refugees- their incomes, expenditures, and financial flows. Published preliminary findings by BFA and FSD Uganda provide a glimpse into the financial lives of the refugees in Kampala, Nakivale, Bidibidi, and Palorinya camps. Arriving with
AVLThis product testing guide by Accion Venture Lab is made for early-stage fintech companies who want to test, evaluate, and implement new ideas. Companies can use this guide to navigate the decisions around testing, iterating, and improving their products. Included in the guide is how to build a test-friendly culture in your organization, an experiment