After considering many highly qualified applicants, we are excited to introduce 2019 CFI Research Fellows <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/bio/dan-kleinbaum">Dan Kleinbaum</a> and <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/bio/larry-reed">Larry Reed</a>. As all participants in the <a href="https://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/about/what-we-do/research-fellows-program/">CFI Research Fellows Program </a>have done since its genesis in 2015, the new group will examine important – but different – questions in financial inclusion. Kleinbaum will focus on how application programming interfaces (APIs) can support small financial service providers (FSPs) to partner with fintechs to reach the underserved, while Reed will explore the incentives facing banks when they attempt to serve the recipients of government welfare and related programs profitably.

Take a moment to learn about the fellows’ planned research below. For more information, tune in to a webinar on February 7 -- "<a href="https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5090331313860456961">Meet the 2019 CFI Fellows: Making APIs and G2P Payments Work for Financial Inclusion</a>" -- when the Fellows will provide a preview of their research and the motivations behind it.

Announcing the 2019 Fellows: Researchers to Tackle Important Questions on APIs, G2P Payments

CFI Research Fellows Program

Delivery Channels

Digital Financial Services

Payments

Blog Post

The program leverages partnerships with Mastercard and a handful of prominent banks. If successful, the new cards will simultaneously improve the government’s functioning, enroll more citizens in key government services like health insurance and social security, and provide digital financial services to many unbanked Kenyans.

How does the program work? Huduma cards are issued <a href="http://www.iafrikan.com/2017/02/07/mastercard-and-huduma-kenya-have-partnered-to-launch-the-countrys-first-multipurpose-social-payment-card-2/">throughout the country</a> at the government’s preexisting Huduma Centres, which provide citizens with the gambit of government services. The cards will also be available at the partner banks, which include the Commercial Bank of Africa, Diamond Trust Bank, Equity Bank, and Kenya Commercial Bank.

Those who register for Huduma cards will use them to receive social benefits and other payments from the government, as well as to pay for government services. Powered by Mastercard, the cards also serve as a prepaid card solution anywhere Mastercards are accepted - in stores, online, via phone, and at Mastercard compatible ATMs. There are corresponding online and mobile phone payment portals for Huduma card holders. Registration doesn’t entail any fees or require a credit history or preexisting bank account. For many, Huduma could <a href="http://www.pymnts.com/financial-inclusion-3/2017/mastercard-powers-cashless-efficiency-in-kenya/">serve as a first formal bank account</a>.

<a href="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/key-mechanisms.png"><img class="wp-image-23070 alignright" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2017/02/key-mechanisms.png" width="591" height="568" /></a>One of the most compelling features of the program is that when registering for a Huduma card users will automatically be enrolled in vital government services including the National Social Security Fund and the National Hospital Insurance Fund, bolstering the expansion of savings and insurance in the country.

This is Kenya’s first multipurpose social payment card with payment functionality. It’s part of Kenya Vision 2030, the country’s development program pertaining to 2008 through the year 2030. By creating a unified payment gateway for government services, the Huduma cards should improve efficiency, transparency, and accountability.

The formal roll-out of the program follows a successful pilot and <a href="http://www.pymnts.com/financial-inclusion-3/2017/mastercard-powers-cashless-efficiency-in-kenya/">will focus on</a> efforts to ensure access to the cards, education on the benefits of the cards, and boosting card usage.

We look forward to closely following the program’s roll-out. Our recent CFI paper “<a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/cfi-fellows-program/764">Is G2P an On-Ramp to Financial Inclusion?</a>” found that although programs like Huduma have the potential to increase formal financial inclusion, to-date the evidence ultimately suggests that government-to-person (G2P) beneficiaries do not take advantage of the basic and common functionality of these programs.

In the figure at right are key mechanisms identified in the report by which G2P payments could lead to greater financial inclusion. Of key importance to the success of Kenya’s program in serving as an on-ramp to financial inclusion will be effective education on the Huduma cards and effective relationship-building between cardholders and both Huduma Centres and participating banks.

Have you read?

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/10/11/the-g2p-silver-bullet-not-so-fast/">The G2P Silver Bullet? Not So Fast.</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/04/20/g2p-and-gender-when-will-pakistani-women-be-able-to-withdraw-their-own-money/">G2P and Gender: When Will Pakistani Women Be Able to Withdraw Their Own Money?</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/10/31/g2p-in-colombia-where-to-next-for-the-familias-en-accion-program/">G2P in Colombia: Where to Next for the Familias en Accion Program?</a>

Kenyan Government Expands Insurance and Social Security via Digital Finance

Mastercard

Kenya

Enabling Environment

Policy, Regulation and Government Initiatives

&gt; Posted by Guy Stuart, Ph.D., Executive Director, Microfinance Opportunities

<img class="alignright wp-image-22328" style="border:0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/call-out-box.png" width="350" height="247" />Can government-to-person (G2P) payments to low-income beneficiaries translate into their formal financial inclusion? This might happen if those beneficiaries can gain experience in dealing with a formal financial service provider (FSP) when they pick up their payments. This is especially the case where the government pays the beneficiaries of the program through a digital channel, such as a debit card or mobile money, and the payment pick-up process gives beneficiaries the chance to interact directly with this new technology. Furthermore, given that G2P programs are often targeted at women, there is the potential for these programs to increase the inclusion of the half of the population traditionally more excluded from formal financial services.

As part of <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/cfi-fellows-program/764">the CFI Fellows Program</a>, Microfinance Opportunities, in partnership with the Pakistan Microfinance Network and Centro de Formación Empresarial de la Fundación de Mario Santo Domingo, looked at the relationship between G2P payments and financial inclusion. For this project we analyzed global survey data and conducted field research in Colombia and Pakistan—two countries with large, well-established G2P programs.

The focus group discussions with the beneficiaries of the <a href="https://www.cgap.org/blog/familias-en-acci%C3%B3n-financial-inclusion-strategy">Familias program in Colombia</a> showed the potential of G2P programs to have a direct effect on enabling women to become comfortable with using digital channels to receive money. The women unanimously reported that they used their Familias debit cards to withdraw their G2P payment from an ATM without any help from anyone else. They did report that, at first, they needed help, but soon learned how to use the cards themselves without any problem.

"... I have the money today and we can withdraw it in just five minutes, right? I think it is easy." (La Calera, Bogotá, Urban)
Nevertheless, despite the fact that women in Colombia have gained facility in withdrawing their payments from ATMs and other outlets, this has not led them to become more financially included. They withdraw all their money at once, and make little or no use of the functionalities of the accounts through which the government pays them. Furthermore, the fact that they have an account with a bank has not translated into their using any other services banks offer.

The women gave various reasons for not using their Familias accounts to manage their money, even though that account allows them to leave money in the account and deposit money into it. The reasons fall into three main categories: a lack of information, a lack of trust, and convenience.

A majority of the participants in the focus groups who received their Familias payment through Banco Agrario did not know that there was a savings account linked to their debit card or that they could save in the account.

If they had information about the account, it was often inaccurate. For example, they thought the account was limited to receiving and withdrawing Familias payments in limited amounts. In the same way, those beneficiaries who received their payment through Daviplata—a mobile money service—did not always know they had a mobile wallet, and, as a result, an account they could use to send and receive money and make deposits. Other participants who knew about the mobile wallets thought that they could only be used for the program. Furthermore, the women thought that if they were temporarily suspended or withdrew from Familias, their accounts would be closed.

In most cases, the participants reported that they withdrew all the money they received in one transaction. One reason they gave was worry that the balance might be “taken back” by the government—they do not trust the Familias accounts. Some participants reported that, in fact, when they had left a balance it shrank over time. This might have been due to the fees Banco Agrario charges for more than two transactions per month, including balance checks.
"No, because once I left $20,000 pesos and then I tried to withdraw the money and there was nothing there. I asked the Familias program and they told me that I should not have left it there." (Codito, Bogotá, Urban)
"... Because when we received this debit card, they told us that we could save money there and nothing will happen. But, we fell into the trap and they took the money away..." (Codito, Bogotá, Urban)
The participants also reported hearing lots of stories about “lost money” that involved other beneficiaries, and those stories pointed to problems with the ATMs, hidden bank fees, and penalties imposed by the program for not withdrawing the funds, amongst others.

Not all the participants in the focus groups mistrusted the Familias accounts. Some participants noted that one advantage of the debit card attached to an account was that you could leave money in the account, whereas if you receive a payment through a giro check you cannot. As a result, a number of women reported leaving small amounts in their account:
"There are always little balances there. I hope that with the next payment I have more than $ 10,000 pesos. I always verified if these balances are there. They are increasing little by little and nobody has taken them away."  (Sabana Grande, Barranquilla, Rural)
Beyond the issue of trust, the focus group discussions made it clear that the women simply preferred to keep their money at home in a piggy-bank (“alcancía”) or in their purses as a matter of convenience—to enable them to have easy access to the cash to pay for day-to-day necessities or deal with an emergency. They did not like using banks or other types of financial service providers because they thought they had minimum deposit rules or simply because they were not accessible.
"It is safer in the house because you know you have it there..." (Codito, Bogotá, Urban)
"…we save small amounts of $1,000 pesos, $2,000 pesos [in the piggy-bank]... the bank does not accept smaller amounts." (San Juan de Nepomuceno, Cartagena, Rural)
"The piggy-bank [is better] because when I withdraw money from ATM, it charges me a fee." (San Juan de Nepomuceno, Cartagena, Rural)
Relationship with an FSP

There was a general perception among the participants that banks did not offer products suitable for them because of their high fees and interest rates or because they were out of reach for someone of their socio-economic status. However, some participants, despite not using their Familias account regularly, knew about and used other financial services offered by other banks and financial service providers not linked to Familias. None of the participants thought that having a Familias account in any way made it easier for them to get access to other services.

For example, there was a small group of women who had savings accounts, loans outstanding, or had borrowed in the past. In large part, these were business owners and were better educated than the other participants in the focus groups. Again, the women stated that there was no connection between their use of these services and their participation in the Familias program.

The participants in the focus groups had a generally favorable view of banks and thought they could be useful in helping finance large purchases such as for homes, land, or businesses. In their view, banks offered lower interest rates and better terms than other, informal sources of credit. Given their economic status, the women did not think they would meet the requirements of the bank today, but hoped that someday in the future they might.

The women said they preferred to borrow from family or informal lenders when they need money for a necessity or an emergency. Informal lenders had an advantage because they lend money quickly, but those lenders also charged interest and required timely repayment. Family sources might take a little longer to get the money but did not charge interest and were flexible about repayment timing. Banks require a lot of paperwork, collateral and/or guarantees, and are slow to deliver the money.
"The bank asks you some requirements… you have to earn more than a minimum wage for a loan, and at the end, you can get a loan for not more than $500,000 pesos. They analyze what expenditures you have at home, and suddenly they answer that you are not eligible for that loan. If you do not have credit rating it is impossible." (Codito, Bogotá, Urban)
The one way in which the women did link their families more closely to the formal banking system because of Familias was through their children. Many women reported having opened a bank account for their children, and that this was encouraged by Banco Agrario and the Familias program. They liked the accounts because the bank did not charge any use fees. The data suggest that the women who had opened such accounts were generally more financially literate.
"…because I opened a savings account for my daughters in Banco Agrario and once I made a transfer from my account to their account. I took it out from the program account and I passed it to their account." (La Calera, Bogotá, Urban)
"They told me in Banco Agrario that I could open a free account for my two minor children. That was part of the Familias program." (Tunjaque, Bogotá, Rural)
In sum, even though the women who participated in our focus groups in Colombia were very comfortable using their Familias accounts, that comfort did not translate into their using those accounts to help them manage their money, except in a few cases. Furthermore, it was clear that they saw no benefit from being part of the program in terms of gaining access to other financial services. The one exception was the accounts they were able to open on behalf of their children. Based on these findings it is fair to say that in Colombia G2P payments to low-income people offer no easy on-ramp to formal financial inclusion. Advocates of inclusion who are seeking to make this ramp smoother and less steep, need to tackle the issues of misinformation, trust and convenience.

Have you read?

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/10/11/the-g2p-silver-bullet-not-so-fast/">The G2P Silver Bullet? Not So Fast.</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/04/20/g2p-and-gender-when-will-pakistani-women-be-able-to-withdraw-their-own-money/">G2P and Gender: When Will Pakistani Women Be Able to Withdraw Their Own Money?</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2014/06/20/electronic-g2p-for-the-poor-does-electronic-social-protection-need-better-consumer-protection/">Electronic G2P for the Poor: Does Electronic Social Protection Need Better Consumer Protection?</a>

G2P in Colombia: Where to Next for the Familias en Accion Program?

Agent Banking

<a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/storage/documents/Government_to_Person_Transfers.pdf"><img class="alignright wp-image-22099" style="border: 0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/g2p.png" width="270" height="344" /></a>The following post was <a href="http://nextbillion.net/the-g2p-silver-bullet-not-so-fast/">originally published</a> on NextBillion.

As we approach the <a href="http://www.imf.org/external/am/2016/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Bank Annual Meetings</a> this year in Washington, D.C., one topic world leaders will discuss is how to reach universal financial access by 2020. But there is a resounding dissonance between enthusiasm for one of the most-touted solutions to financial exclusion and the evidence to date.

We’re talking about the fervor with which shifting government welfare payments to electronic form (government-to-person or G2P payments) is put forward as a quick route toward universal access. The evidence we’ve seen suggests that while moving G2P to electronic form has important benefits, clients are not yet benefitting from meaningful increases in financial inclusion.

The argument in favor of G2P electronic payments for financial inclusion is simple. Many governments offer cash transfers to millions of people at or below the poverty line, most of whom are not connected to the formal financial system. If these cash transfers are funneled into bank accounts rather than paid directly out in cash, these people immediately gain an on-ramp to financial services.

But the evidence shows that this solution is not working for financial inclusion. The financial inclusion community has been whispering this truth for years.

When G2P recipients receive payment through a bank account, they consistently continue to withdraw the funds in cash. While the recipients may now be officially counted as “included” because they have bank accounts, meaningful inclusion would involve active use of the account, retention of savings in the account, or use of other products offered by the financial institution. However, we observe that no one involved in these transactions – not governments, banks, or clients – sees financial inclusion as an integral part of this process or even as a relevant goal.

The <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Center for Financial Inclusion</a> commissioned our <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/cfi-fellows-program">CFI Fellow</a>, Guy Stuart, CEO of Microfinance Opportunities, to study G2P programs from a client perspective in Pakistan and Colombia. In his report, “<a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/cfi-fellows-program/764">Government-to-Person Transfers: On Ramp to Financial Inclusion?</a>” Stuart found that not only do people withdraw all funds as soon as they can, they do not necessarily perceive the digital channel as more convenient. Recipients continue to report long lines and technical problems. The financial institutions do not actively provide other services to these customers. Banks are attracted to these programs not because they see the customers as an attractive market segment (for the most part, they don’t), but because they receive a small subsidy from the government and the prestige of winning a large scale government procurement.

The government administrators of cash transfer programs, for their part, are focused on reducing administrative costs and leakage due to fraud along the way. Shifting to electronic channels has been effective for those purposes. However, welfare program administrators typically do not share an interest in financial inclusion, and may even believe that all funds should be withdrawn immediately, since their purpose is to support consumption. Stuart concludes that while the cash paid out through welfare programs does better peoples’ lives, the benefits to clients do not depend on which payment channels are used.

And Stuart is not the only skeptic. Experts on the topic from multilaterals, research institutions and financial services providers—the ones doing the research on such programs—agree that G2P electronic payments do not in their current form deliver on their financial inclusion promises.

Stuart’s research also points to the still formidable challenges to make G2P systems work smoothly and provide the right incentives for providers. Providers report that the profit margins on G2P electronic payments are impossibly small, such that few institutional resources can justifiably be spent on leveraging the payments for further inclusion. The procurement processes often used for G2P electronic payments also should be revisited. Often, the entire contract is offered to one institution for a few years, then awarded to a lower bidder during the next cycle. Currently, the process discourages innovation and the kind of competition that might improve service for recipients.

Within financial institutions, changes would be needed to respond to recipients as real customers. Without having to spend funds on customer acquisition, financial institutions could capitalize on how to most effectively engage recipients of G2P payments. Often, however, G2P payment accounts are managed by a separate department from other products. This product separation discourages a long-term customer relationship view.

Finally, recipients will always cash out if they cannot use their funds in electronic form. If the merchant acceptance environment developed such that recipients could use a card linked to their account to buy things they need, then they might be more likely to leave funds in their account for future use.

Is G2P a silver bullet for financial access? No, and of course silver bullets are very rare. We know that cash transfers matter to the poor; we know that paying them electronically reduces administrative costs and leakage. Now we need to work on improving incentives for both providers and recipients to take the next steps to move G2P payments toward more useful customer-bank relationships, and more meaningful financial inclusion.

To read Guy Stuart's report, "Government-to-Person Transfers: On Ramp to Financial Inclusion?", <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/cfi-fellows-program/764">click here</a>.

Have you read?

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/04/20/g2p-and-gender-when-will-pakistani-women-be-able-to-withdraw-their-own-money/">G2P and Gender: When Will Pakistani Women Be Able to Withdraw Their Own Money?</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2014/06/20/electronic-g2p-for-the-poor-does-electronic-social-protection-need-better-consumer-protection/">Electronic G2P for the Poor: Does Electronic Social Protection Need Better Consumer Protection?</a>

<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2dnoG56c2llppkz2IPtt3G">Gauging Loan Officers’ Perspectives: A Study by Pakistan Microfinance Network</a>

The G2P Silver Bullet? Not So Fast.

<a href="https://www.joomag.com/magazine/financial-inclusion-2020-essential-debates-looking-beyond-universal-financial-access/0826766001475174088?short"><img class="alignright wp-image-22057" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/fi-2020.png" width="300" height="410" /></a>&gt; Posted by Center Staff

Looking Beyond [Universal Financial] Access

CFI defines Financial Inclusion as “a state in which everyone who can use them has access to a full suite of quality financial services…”

The World Bank’s latest edition of the Global Findex revealed that between 2011 and 2014 over 700 million people were newly financially included, at least according to the top line metric of account ownership. The Universal Financial Access program continues to drive home the message that financial access is within reach, even possibly by 2020. We at CFI are now shifting our focus to the other elements of financial inclusion, those which we have always stood by and advocated for, but those that will certainly take longer than 2020 to reach.

Our definition continues: 

“… provided at affordable prices, in a convenient manner, with respect and dignity. Financial services are delivered by a range of providers, in a stable, competitive market to financially capable clients.” 

In <a href="https://www.joomag.com/magazine/financial-inclusion-2020-essential-debates-looking-beyond-universal-financial-access/0826766001475174088?short">this issue of our ongoing Financial Inclusion 2020 e-magazine series</a> you will find insights from recent or ongoing CFI research projects. In a rundown of our Business of Financial Inclusion report, you will hear what commercial bank managers told us about the opportunities and challenges that they face in reaching unbanked and underbanked customers. You will also dive into how commercial banks are partnering with financial technology startups to serve new customers and broaden their product offerings. In the e-zine’s research spotlight, we take a critical look at how effective G2P payments have been in advancing financial inclusion. We also explore the role of microfinance in microenterprise growth. In addition, we discuss the importance of two emerging concepts, financial health and financial capability, and what these two frameworks mean for regulators, providers, and customers.

All of this work is unified by a focus on the customer. In advancing financial inclusion, we must make sure that we are not driven by account numbers, but by helping unserved and underserved customers reach their financial goals. That is why we are looking beyond 2020 to a world which provides financial inclusion to all, in every sense of the definition above.

Beyond the e-magazine, we are eager to look ahead to our work with dozens of financial inclusion leaders around the world who together are hosting Financial Inclusion Week 2016 from October 17-21. Last year, from November 2-6, 2015, 34 partner organizations engaged in conversations worldwide to discuss the most pressing actions needed to advance financial inclusion globally. In 2016, we aim to continue these conversations and engage an even wider community of stakeholders to discuss this year’s theme: keeping clients first in a digital world. Events will focus on how to ensure that clients are empowered and protected in a financial ecosystem that has moved beyond brick and mortar to cell phones and internet delivery channels. To get involved in Financial Inclusion Week 2016, <a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/06/08/save-the-date-financial-inclusion-week-2016/">click here</a>.

To read the e-magazine, <a href="https://www.joomag.com/magazine/financial-inclusion-2020-essential-debates-looking-beyond-universal-financial-access/0826766001475174088?short">click here</a>.

Have you read?

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2015/12/14/fi2020-week-e-magazine-themes-highlights-and-calls-to-action/">FI2020 Week E-Magazine: Themes, Highlights, and Calls to Action</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2015/08/10/new-fi2020-e-magazine-three-essential-debates/">New FI2020 E-Magazine: Three Essential Debates</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2013/12/19/global-forum-roundup-magazine/">Global Forum Roundup Magazine</a>

New FI2020 E-Magazine: Beyond Access

Financial Inclusion 2020

Financial Capability

Financial Health

Trends

In this research, Guy Stuart, CFI Fellow and Executive Director of Microfinance Opportunities, assesses whether and how G2P payments increase formal financial inclusion. Stuart coupled observations, interviews and focus groups in Colombia and Pakistan with extensive analysis of reports on G2P payments covering 19 countries and quantitative data from the World Bank Global Findex.

While Stuart’s research identifies five key mechanisms by which G2P payments could lead to greater financial inclusion, the evidence ultimately suggests that G2P beneficiaries do not take advantage of the basic and common functionality of these programs.

Stuart provides insightful recommendations for government and the private sector to design better products, optimize delivery of payments, and effectively communicate the advantages of these programs to beneficiaries.

&nbsp;

Government to Person Transfers

Colombia

Pakistan

Report

&gt; Posted by Michael Schlein, President and CEO, Accion

[vimeo 174714924 w=640 h=360]

Over the last few years, we’ve made great progress in expanding financial access for those left out of the economic mainstream. From 2011-2014, more than <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/globalfindex" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">700 million</a> people gained access to new financial accounts. If you’ve just been reading the headlines, you might assume that telcos and fintech start-ups are the primary forces driving that progress.

But the newest study from the <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion</a> and the <a href="https://www.iif.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Institute of International Finance</a>, “<a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/publications-a-resources/browse-publications/748" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Business of Financial Inclusion: Insights from Banks in Emerging Markets</a>”, found that of the 721 million adults who gained access to new financial accounts between 2011-2014, 90 percent of them did so at more traditional financial institutions.

Telcos and fintech start-ups have been getting the headlines; the banks have been getting the job done. That’s important, exciting news.

This report shows that, for the first time, banks, all around the world, are seeing financial inclusion as a core business function. <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/publications-a-resources/browse-publications/748" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Business of Financial Inclusion</a> report shows that banks are creating lean, viable business models to reach customers they have never reached before. Digital payments are the main gateway for commercial banks to reach underbanked customers. They take many forms – transactional accounts, salaries and bill payments, G2P, and P2P. This means cheaper, more secure, and more convenient payments. Instead of spending hours traveling to make a single utility payment, mobile money allows you to push a button.

But technology is doing more than providing customers with more channels. It’s also powering data analytics, back-office systems, and product innovation. The combination of banking’s view of the base of the pyramid as a business opportunity, leaner business models, and back office efficiencies is how we’ll reach more people, and provide them with the tools they need to help themselves.

<a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/publications-a-resources/browse-publications/748" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Business of Financial Inclusion</a> report also shows how highly the banks regard microfinance, as both an investment opportunity and, more importantly, as a partner in reaching the ultimate clients. These partnerships between banks and microfinance institutions are transforming financial inclusion ecosystems.

Account Access versus Usage

The 721 million new accounts that the world added between 2011-2014 represent tremendous progress; with banking committed to pursuing financial inclusion, I’m confident that we’ll add hundreds of millions of more new accounts in the coming years.

But opening accounts is just the first step. Too often newly-opened accounts remain dormant. Compared to high income countries, people living in low income countries use their accounts much less frequently – and sometimes not at all. And opening dormant accounts is not our vision of financial inclusion.

We know there is much more work to be done. And we are seeing promising signs. The State Bank of India, for example, has led a major effort to open up accounts and, in the first 18 months, we have seen zero account balances fall from 90 percent to 40 percent.

Now that a host of new banks are committing themselves with this cause, they must acquaint themselves with this important distinction: access is a necessary condition for financial inclusion, but customers must use those accounts to realize the potential of inclusive finance. To ensure that customers remain active, engaged users, we need to keep working to gain the trust of our new clients, to develop products that make sense for them and to make sure they have the capability to use these powerful tools well.

Financial exclusion is an urgent problem. Providing someone with financial services now might make the difference between their children going to school today or waiting for their grandchildren – or great-grandchildren – to realize that opportunity.

And this is a problem that we can solve. The digital revolution has changed the boundaries of our imagination. And this <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/publications-a-resources/browse-publications/748" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">report </a>shows that instead of viewing financial exclusion as a failure of the banking system, we have turned a very significant corner – and now the banks have begun to see the enormous opportunity at the base of the pyramid. This is important progress.

Have you read?

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/07/13/new-video-susy-cheston-interviews-dr-william-derban-on-the-business-of-financial-inclusion/">New Video: Susy Cheston Interviews Dr. William Derban on “The Business of Financial Inclusion”</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/07/07/the-business-of-financial-inclusion-insights-from-emerging-market-banks/">The Business of Financial Inclusion: Insights from Emerging Market Banks</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/07/19/banks-in-financial-inclusion-improving-the-customer-experience/">Banks in Financial Inclusion: Improving the Customer Experience</a>

New CFI and IIF Report Reveals Banks Are Leading Financial Inclusion

Regulators

Mobile Banking

&gt; Posted by Guy Stuart, Ph.D., Executive Director, Microfinance Opportunities

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldbank/8119464904/in/album-72157603951235569/"><img class="alignright wp-image-21191" style="border:0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/8119464904_abd5a532c7_k.jpg" width="331" height="229" /></a>Can government-to-person (G2P) payments to low-income beneficiaries translate into their financial inclusion? One way this might happen is if those beneficiaries can gain experience in dealing with a formal financial service provider (FSP) when they go to pick up their payments. This is especially the case where the government pays the beneficiaries of the program through a digital channel, such as a debit card or mobile money, and the payment pick up process gives beneficiaries the chance to interact directly with this new technology. Furthermore, given that G2P programs are often targeted at women, there is the potential for these programs to increase the inclusion of the half of the population traditionally more excluded from formal financial services.

As part of the <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/cfi-and-accion-research-fellows">Center for Financial Inclusion Fellows Program</a>, Microfinance Opportunities, in partnership with the Pakistan Microfinance Network and Centro de Formación Empresarial de la Fundación de Mario Santo Domingo, looked at this issue as part of a larger project on the relationship between G2P payments and financial inclusion. For this project we analyzed global survey data as well as conducted field research in Colombia and Pakistan—two countries with large, well-established G2P programs called Familias en Acción (Familias) and the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP) respectively. The field research involved focus group discussions with the beneficiaries of the programs and, in Pakistan, a series of observations of transactions at the shops of agents of one of the commercial banks distributing payments to the beneficiaries of BISP.

The focus group discussions with the beneficiaries of the Familias program in Colombia showed the potential of G2P programs to have a direct effect on enabling women to become comfortable with using digital channels to receive money. The women unanimously reported that they used their Familias debit cards to withdraw their G2P payment from an ATM without any help from anyone else. They did report that, at first, they needed help, but soon learned how to use the cards themselves without any problem.
"... I have the money today and we can withdraw it in just 5 minutes, right? I think it is easy.” (La Calera, Bogotá, Urban)
In Pakistan, the story was very different. Over the course of three days of observation at various agents’ locations in three provinces—two in Punjab and three each in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)— our researchers observed 778 transactions, of which 324 (42 percent) were transactions in which an individual conducted a BISP-related transaction. Of these 32 transactions failed due to a variety of reasons including: problems with the card or PIN number, a shortage of cash in the agent’s shop, no balance on the card, problems with the beneficiary’s identify card, or the fact that the beneficiary was not present to conduct the transaction herself. Other than the BISP transactions there were also 229 mobile top-up transactions and 100 mobile money transactions (29 and 13 percent of the transactions respectively).

Almost 97 percent of the transactions unrelated to BISP were conducted by men and took just over two minutes to complete. Men performed just over 2/3s of the BISP-related transactions, and the average time it took for all such transactions was five minutes.

[caption id="attachment_21186" align="aligncenter" width="615"]<img class="wp-image-21186" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/figure-1.png" alt="Figure 1: Distribution of Observed Transactions" width="615" height="319" /> Distribution of Observed Transactions[/caption]

We were able to gather detailed information on 203 of the BISP transactions we observed. The information covered who came to the agents’ shop, who they were with, who conducted the transaction, what role the agent played, and whether they conducted transactions other than the BISP transaction while they were at the agent’s. Of the 203 transactions, 75 (37 percent) were conducted by women on their own. Another 73 (36 percent) were conducted by men on their own. The remaining 55 transactions were conducted by someone who went to the agent’s shop accompanied by one or more persons, and in those situations women conducted 32 of the transactions (16 percent of the total), while men conducted the other 23 (11 percent of the total).

In all cases the agent swiped the card and entered the PIN number, written on a slip of paper, given to him by the person conducting the transaction. In 100 (51 percent) of the 195 transactions completed and for which we have data, the agent handed the person conducting the transaction a receipt related to the transaction, while in the rest of the transactions no receipt was given. There was a clear pattern regarding the giving of receipts—three agents we observed gave receipts in all but 6 of the 96 transactions they conducted, while the rest of the agents did not give receipts in all but 10 of the 99 transactions they conducted.

In sum, women conducted just over half the transactions (53 percent) in a program ostensibly targeted at women. In addition, in all transactions the person actually carrying out the transaction was the agent—it was he who actually swiped the card and entered the PIN.

The gender dynamics underlying the observations we made at the agents’ shops shaped the composition of the focus groups we conducted in Pakistan. We were not able to gather focus groups with women in the areas outside Karachi and ended up with all-male focus groups there. But in Karachi we were able to conduct focus groups with women. In the discussions with men we found that they were heavily involved in picking up the payments for women in their household and they could talk extensively about the process. They also talked about how they relied on agents to conduct the transactions for them or paid a guard at an ATM to help them navigate the process, although some did report being able to use ATMs.

In the women-only groups, in Karachi, we found a different story. Women there reported going to withdraw the money themselves, often on their own or in a group of women but sometimes with a male relative. They also reported that they handled the whole transaction—they did not rely on an agent to do it for them.
"I go to the bank and enter card in the ATM machine. There an option of 'Yes' and 'No' comes. I select 'Yes' option." (Karachi, Women, Group 1)
"We altogether go there and help each other in withdrawing money. Our husbands work as labor and have no time for withdrawing money. So we all go to the bank." (Karachi, Women, Group 1)
"We go together to collect money from Benazir Income Support. Some people after watching us and ask 'Are you going to collect Benazir Money? I will send my mother as well.'" (Karachi, Women, Group 1)
Furthermore, some of the women noted that the whole process gave them a lot of control over the money they received:
"We can get the money by ourselves. Even our husbands don’t know about it and we withdraw the money and use it." (Karachi, Women, Group 1)
What we found in Pakistan is consistent with earlier reports on the process of picking up BISP payments in Pakistan. In 2013 consultants from the design firm Continuum conducted <a href="http://continuuminnovation.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Report-1.4.docx.pdf">human-centered design research</a> on the BISP payment system and found that women were often excluded from the process and, if they were involved in the process, faced challenges navigating the ATM because of their low levels of literacy. An Oxford Policy Management evaluation <a href="http://www.bisp.gov.pk/Others/BISPFirstImpactEvaluationReport.pdf">report</a> on the BISP program using data from 2013 reported that men often conducted transactions on behalf of women. The report did also note that despite this, 64 percent of the time the money ended up in the hands of the women because the men who picked it up handed it to them.

Clearly it is possible for women beneficiaries of G2P programs to gain experience in withdrawing money from an account using a debit card or mobile phone. The experiences of women in Colombia prove this. The reports from the women in Karachi also suggest this. But the gender dynamics in Pakistan are excluding many women from having this experience. Furthermore, even if more women were involved in the process of picking up their payments, it is unclear, given the experience of a lot of their menfolk, whether they would gain full control over the process because the role the agents play.

Finally, we must end with a note of caution. Despite the fact that women in Colombia have gained facility in withdrawing their payments from ATMs and other outlets, this has not led them to become more financially included. They withdraw all their money at once, and make little or no use of the functionalities of the accounts through which the government pays them. Why this is the case is the subject of our next blog.

Image credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldbank/8119464904/in/album-72157603951235569/">World Bank</a>

Have you read?

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2014/06/20/electronic-g2p-for-the-poor-does-electronic-social-protection-need-better-consumer-protection/">Electronic G2P for the Poor: Does Electronic Social Protection Need Better Consumer Protection?</a>

<a href="https://open.spotify.com/track/2dnoG56c2llppkz2IPtt3G">Gauging Loan Officers' Perspectives: A Study by Pakistan Microfinance Network</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/03/08/in-the-hands-of-women-a-reflection-on-the-gender-gap-in-financial-inclusion/">In the Hands of Women: A Reflection on the Gender Gap in Financial Inclusion</a>

G2P and Gender: When Will Pakistani Women Be Able to Withdraw Their Own Money?

&gt; Posted by Susy Cheston, Senior Advisor, CFI

<img class="alignright wp-image-21146" style="border:0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/kgfs.jpg" alt="" width="330" height="185" />A lot of money is being spent on financial education—and we’d like to see it spent more effectively. We still don’t know all that is needed about what works, but based on our <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/publications-a-resources/browse-publications/724">scan of the current landscape</a> for financial capability-building innovations, we can already recommend six major shifts in how financial capability resources are deployed.

The first three recommendations relate to who is building financial capability.
1. Bring financial capability efforts closer to the actual use of financial services by enabling providers to take a greater role.
2. Shift the expectation that the government is responsible for financial capability to an expectation of shared responsibility among all stakeholders, including financial service providers and other institutions.
3. Engage organizations serving BoP constituencies, from government social service agencies to employers to non-profits.
This calls for “all hands on deck.” We argue, first and foremost, that providers can and should take a primary role in building financial capability, as they are best equipped to reach customers at teachable moments and to help them learn by doing. Many providers are already spending significant resources on financial education. They could have a much greater return on their investment if they focused those resources on embedding financial capability into product design and delivery, looking at all the touch points in the customer experience as opportunities to help customers use products more successfully.

Fortunately, there are some easy wins, such as the use of nudges, reminders, and default options that bring high impact for very little cost. Other shifts may take more time but are worth the investment. For instance, customer data analytics can yield detailed segmentation so that interventions can be tailored to customers. At the same time, data analytics can support two-way communication so that providers can hear from customers directly and at the time convey important information to them. BBVA/Bancomer is one of a number of banks working with Juntos, a service provider specialized in data analytics for financial capability-building. Juntos provides BBVA/Bancomer customers with reminders through SMS messages. The good news for providers is that technology opens up tremendous opportunities to build capability—at relatively low per customer cost.

One legitimate concern is whether or not providers—and their front-line staff—have the capacity to build financial capability. If front-line staff are not themselves financially capable, it may be hard for them to explain services to customers. At this point, few financial service providers have deep expertise in financial capability-building, and even less in behaviorally-informed approaches. While investing in such expertise may pay off over time, a faster solution may be to bring in consultants specialized in the design of financial capability interventions or service providers that interface directly with the financial institutions’ customers. Over the long term, investments in building the financial capability of front-line staff and agents may pay off. Organizations such as Microfinance Opportunities have found success in providing aids such as scripts or flip books that help front-line staff and agents communicate correctly with customers.

We found a number of providers that are embedding behavioral insights into their financial services. Janalakshmi, a microfinance institution in India is working on a number of fronts, including developing easy-to-remember rules of thumb to communicate through mobile phones, using in-depth household data to customize advice, and providing one-on-one counseling. KGFS incorporates tailored financial advice into its service model. Some commercial banks are also innovating, as is the case with the Saldazo transactional account of Banamex in Mexico, which uses text messaging and a call center to inform customers, answer queries, collect information, and encourage product use. Customers who provide their mobile number receive an SMS after each transaction with messages that encourage account usage and provide tips.

A strong role for providers does not absolve governments of their responsibility. One natural role is to build behavioral principles into national financial inclusion and financial education strategies and into school curricula. At the same time, we see opportunities for governments to shift their focus toward equipping and enabling providers and other actors, including reducing barriers to innovation. These efforts must be supported by a strong client protection framework—one that helps draw the line between building capability and overly aggressive marketing tactics, so that customers are protected and providers are clear about their limits. Governments that provide G2P payments electronically also have a huge opportunity to use a direct deposit into an account as a teachable moment—one that leads to active use of accounts and becomes an on-ramp to other financial services.

We believe there is a role for all stakeholders, and urge the many service providers who work with people at the base of the pyramid to play their part to build financial capability and connect people to providers. This includes employers, social service organizations, hospitals and clinics, and others who connect with people during critical life events.

The remaining three recommendations have to do with the paradigm shift toward behavior and keeping customers and their needs at the center.
4. Incorporate proven elements that support behavior change into existing financial education and financial capacity efforts.
5. Measure results rigorously.
6. Foster customer-led financial capability.
We call on all actors—including financial education experts—to close the gap between knowing and doing by focusing their efforts on customers’ behavior. We have identified <a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/04/12/a-change-in-behavior-innovations-in-financial-capability/">seven behaviorally-informed practices</a> that we believe are a good start. But we also believe that these practices need a lot more refinement based on evidence of what works and what doesn’t—evidence that can only come about if those who work on building capability do the hard job of developing metrics for impact based on outcomes not just outputs. In other words, too much of what we know is how many participants receive messages, rather than what actions they take as a result.

Our final recommendation addresses the perspective of customers. We cannot presume to know what matters most to customers, what problems they are trying to solve, or how they would like to be contacted. Throughout our survey, we heard from many people who think deeply about what financial capability means from a customer perspective—and who caution us about the need to approach this work with humility. That means, above all, listening to customers, and developing feedback loops so that our efforts match what customers need in order to achieve healthy financial behaviors that support their goals.

Have you read?

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2016/04/12/a-change-in-behavior-innovations-in-financial-capability/">A Change in Behavior: Innovations in Financial Capability</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2013/07/22/clearing-the-path-to-financial-capability-in-latin-america/">Clearing the Path to Financial Capability in Latin America</a>

<a href="https://cfi-blog.org/2014/02/25/mobile-microinsurance-products-and-financial-capability/">Mobile Microinsurance Products and Financial Capability</a>

Six Recommendations on Financial Capability

Banks

Data Analytics

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldbank/2652377697/in/album-72157601463875207/"><img class="alignright wp-image-20072" style="border: 0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/2652377697_7cd2f08d4e_o.jpg" alt="2652377697_7cd2f08d4e_o" width="349" height="224" /></a>Aging is an issue that we all hope to face personally, if we haven’t already. As we prepare to participate in <a href="http://www.e-mfp.eu/microfinance-week">European Microfinance Week</a>, we are more convinced than ever that this is a critical topic for the financial inclusion community to address. (If you are planning to be at European Microfinance Week too, make sure to <a href="https://event.neimenster.lu/ehome/emw2015/308192/?&amp;">check out our panel</a> on the Sustainable Development Goals and financial inclusion!) In Europe, the aging of the population is well acknowledged. With average life expectancy in Europe among the highest in the world, at 77 years, the proportion of the population reaching older age is naturally growing. About 25 percent of Europe’s population is now over the age of 60, and that percentage is set to rise. The aging of the population is well understood in Europe, but what is less recognized is that the middle and lower-middle income countries of the world – the countries that encompass most of the world’s population – are already beginning to experience the same older age population boom. In most middle income countries, from Mexico to China, over-60s are the fastest growing cohort of the population. Aging is a product of successful development. Increased life expectancy, better family planning mechanisms, and higher quality of life all contribute to growth in the proportion of the population that is older.

Aging is a reality, but can it also represent an opportunity for financial institutions? The smart money is on providers who recognize that the answer is yes, and work to figure out how to respond.

We’ve created a list of activities, some practical and some research-oriented, we think would be valuable to close the gaps in financial inclusion for older people and for younger people who want to prepare for their older age. And, frankly, we would love for you to steal these ideas!

Develop a toolkit for becoming an age-friendly institution. We hear of a few financial institutions—from MFIs to commercial banks—that are using age as a lens through which to segment product offerings. From long-term savings products for people in their primary working years to credit designed for older people, being age-friendly across the life course allows a focus on life transitions and the diverse financial needs that accompany them. Case studies and toolkits would help financial institutions follow proven approaches. As part of becoming an age-friendly institution, there are a few starting points that would make a big impact:
Age-proof channels and technology. Financial institutions recognize that new technology, new channels, and new products must be built with the user experience in mind. There are existing vehicles for testing channels and technology to ensure that they work for older people. As part of vetting channels and technology, financial institutions can leverage older persons’ associations, assuring the technology’s validity for later life.
Ensure that staff members are not discriminating based on age. Financial institutions and support organizations can test the customer experience through mystery shopping in order to better understand how people of different ages are treated when they walk into a branch. An exercise like this could inform market-specific training modules to dispel myths about aging for staff of financial institutions.
Use existing data to create better products. Financial institutions have a wealth of data on clients that goes unused, and age is one data point that is collected because of the way that AML/CFT laws are translated into institutional policy. Financial institutions can use the data they have on clients to better understand how age influences client behavior. From this data, financial institutions have the opportunity to create better products to serve people across their life cycle, and especially into their older age.
Enhance financial security in older age by leveraging G2P and P2G early on. The shift toward electronic government-to-person and person-to-government payments presents an opportunity for creating “on-ramps” to inclusion. Leveraging these products could include automatically diverting funds sent through electronic channels to help people save funds for older age (which is already happening in many parts of the world) or using electronic G2P payments that go to older people as collateral for loans (older people are often seen as higher risk). Financial institutions which provide the accounts through which electronic payments are channeled have the positioning to capitalize on this opportunity.

Raise or eliminate age caps on credit and insurance. Over half of the institutions we <a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/09/10/aging-and-financial-inclusion-a-client-protection-issue/">surveyed earlier this year</a> reported that they impose upper age restrictions on their products. Many age caps at microfinance institutions are based on outdated actuarial tables, and are ripe for being challenged or creatively eliminated. Many people who are older may be willing to pay more for credit. And financial institutions could find highly receptive clients if they responsibly raise age caps on credit products. A dedicated loan guarantee fund could help mitigate perceived risk during a pilot phase, accompanied with careful performance monitoring to provide more data about actual risks of lending to older adults.

Enable people to save for their older age. Pension systems were designed for a largely formal labor force, and the current reality of the size of informal markets does not match the intention of pensions systems. More progressive governments have begun to reform their pension systems to account for the more informal labor force, by creating alternative channels for contributions at places like corner stores and through mobile phones. Financial institutions can also play a role, either serving as channels to collect funds for the pension system or by setting up independent long-term savings programs that promise a competitive interest rate.

We are confident that there are a hundred more ideas that are just as good (or better). More importantly, though, we look forward to seeing a world in which age is not a barrier to people having access to a full range of quality financial services.

If you end up stealing one of these ideas, or if you’re already doing something to advance industry thinking on aging, let us know—we would love to champion your work.

Image credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/worldbank/2652377697/in/album-72157601463875207/">World Bank</a>

Have you read?

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/02/20/moving-to-action-on-aging-and-financial-inclusion/">Moving to Action on Aging and Financial Inclusion</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/02/10/aging-and-financial-inclusion-an-opportunity/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aging and Financial Inclusion: An Opportunity</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/09/10/aging-and-financial-inclusion-a-client-protection-issue/">Aging and Financial Inclusion: A Client Protection Issue?</a>

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Aging and Financial Inclusion: Steal These Ideas!

Mapping the Invisible Market

Partnership for Responsible Financial Inclusion

The Smart Campaign

China

Dominican Republic

Europe and Central Asia

Ghana

Guatemala

India

Mexico

Nigeria

Paraguay

Peru

Tanzania

United States

Zambia

Aging and Older Adults

Consumer Protection

Credit

Financial Inclusion Strategy

Fintechs

Housing Finance

Impact Investing

Microfinance

Persons With Disabilities

Risk Management

Saving

Social Performance

Women

Youth

Eric Noggle

Senior Research Director 

Elisabeth Rhyne

Guy Stuart

Jamie M

Jeff Abrams

Joseph Smolen

Rafe Mazer

Solana Cozzo

Sonja Kelly

Susy Cheston

Tess Johnson

Chile

Haiti

Latin America and The Caribbean

Philippines

South Africa

Uganda

Zimbabwe

Alternative Data

Complaint Resolution

Credit/Debit Cards

Financial Technology

Over-indebtedness

Pensions and Retirement Saving

Privacy

Remittances

Social Impact Metrics

Transparency

The majority of Kenyans have mobile money accounts; their activity demonstrates digital financial services’ potential. Accion helps Kenyan innovators harness emerging technologies to create new financial services.

Michael Schlein

Saran Sidime

China’s economy has experienced tremendous growth in recent years, with a booming micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) market. There are over 50 million MSMEs in China that collectively account for over 60% of China’s GDP and over 50% of the government’s tax income. These businesses create 80% of total employment in China’s urban areas.

Despite China’s overall economic growth, the need to foster full financial inclusion is still imperative. In 2010, 38 million MSMEs lacked access to formal financial services, forcing them to borrow informally from friends, family, and moneylenders.

India is a global leader in financial inclusion. For over a decade, Accion has worked with and learned from India’s innovators, investors, and policymakers to expand economic opportunity for its people and businesses.

Most of Mexico’s people lack access to a formal bank account. Accion has worked in Mexico for decades to create a thriving and competitive financial sector that embraces innovation and protects its clients.

Though Nigeria’s government has set ambitious goals for financial inclusion, the majority of its people lack a formal bank account. Accion has worked in the country since 2007 to expand access to financial services.

South Africa is a global hub for fintech innovation. Accion supports and advises South African innovators using technology to help entrepreneurs expand their businesses and families protect their homes around the world.

&gt; Posted by Michael Miebach, President, Middle East and Africa, MasterCard

<a href="http://www.fi2020week.org"><img class="alignright wp-image-19409" style="border: 0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/fi2020-week-logo.png" alt="" width="350" height="141" /></a>FI2020 Week is a global conversation on the key actions needed to advance financial inclusion, grounded in the findings of the recently launched FI2020 Progress Report. From November 2-6, 2015, stakeholders around the world are participating in more than 30 events and sharing their voices over social media, with #FI2020.

<a href="http://www.fi2020week.org/">FI2020 Week</a> offers a good opportunity to review the findings in the <a href="http://www.fi2020progressreport.org/">FI2020 Progress Report</a> and to consider actions the global community needs to take to advance financial inclusion. This is of particular interest to me as I work every day to expand MasterCard’s payments platform in the Middle East and Africa, and in a volunteer capacity, I also serve on the board of directors of Accion.

The report <a href="http://www.fi2020progressreport.org/technology/">asserts</a> that it’s not enough to “build the rails” to enable payment and transaction access, but that “providers, regulators and support institutions need to ensure that the financial services that follow provide value and quality to the passengers who climb aboard.” Here is where interoperability is essential—if last mile customers are to benefit. Banks, telcos, merchants, and governments must be connected—despite different rules and technologies—in a way that is seamless to the user. From a customer perspective, that means ubiquity, safety, and utility—the trifecta of success in financial inclusion. It won’t work if all the stakeholders are competing to create their own end-to-end solutions, or operating in silos. It won’t work if we are creating islands, where the unbanked transact with each other and where data is used in proprietary ways to support individual business models, rather than being shared as a public good.

Now, a parent in Zimbabwe sends money to his daughter studying at university in South Africa using a mobile money operator connected to the global banking system. All he needs to do is go to an <a href="http://newsroom.mastercard.com/press-releases/mastercard-launches-cross-boarder-remittance-service-in-zimbabwe/">EcoCash</a> agent and top up his mobile money account. His daughter then accesses the funds using a MasterCard debit card linked to the same EcoCash mobile money account to purchase text books, and pay university fees as well as other day-to-day expenses while at university in South Africa. This is ubiquity, safety, and utility put into action.


<img class="alignright wp-image-19955" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/thumb_4298b3a77f1a41819e09b1e02e4c3c59.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" />Equally critical is the focus on <a href="http://www.fi2020progressreport.org/client-protection/">client protection in the digital age</a>. The explosion of data brings new opportunities for inclusion, but it also requires trust in a system many have never used. The distributed trust model requires that both merchants and customers can trust in a secure transaction when making a purchase without cash. An expanded merchant acceptance network along with an expanded Internet add to the complexities. This will be even more challenging with the rise of P2P transactions, which will bring more micro merchants into the financial system. One solution for increasing protection and decreasing fraud is the use of biometrics. For many people, a biometric ID—using fingerprints or an iris scan—may be the first form of identification they have ever been issued. It increases security and transparency and can open the door to having a bank account, receiving government benefits, and even voting. In this case, biometrics can lead not only to greater financial inclusion, but also to greater social inclusion.

But the fundamental challenge ahead is <a href="http://www.fi2020progressreport.org/addressing-customer-needs/">addressing customer needs</a>, underscored by the gap between access and usage that proves there is still much work to be done despite many new accounts being created. Take the great leap forward of moving from cash to electronic payments for G2P social benefits. This is a good change all around—good for governments, which can reduce transaction costs, leakage and fraud, and good for customers, who can avoid the theft of their money and no longer have to wait in long lines either to receive their social benefits or to pay bills. Yet despite this advance, many customers don’t really take advantage of the service—at least not at first. Many people simply head to the nearest ATM to withdraw all of their funds. Yes, they have avoided the long lines to receive the payments, and the government still saves money—but the customers are not using the service to their own benefit.

This is where the Center for Financial Inclusion’s message about the need for providers to take the long view is key. Take the SASSA debit card in South Africa (the South African Social Security Agency electronic benefits disbursement program). The good news is that, over time, people started changing their behavior when provided with a tool they could learn with through use. We found that from year to year, POS purchases increased by 27 percent, cash withdrawals without a purchase decreased by 24 percent, and cash back with purchase transactions grew slightly by 3 percent. This, of course, means that beneficiaries were not simply cashing out as soon as they received their payments and were using the card to store value in a more secure way. And, along the way, merchants have seen as much as a 30 percent increase in sales in the first year of the card.

For all of us working on financial inclusion, the questions about technology circle back to the central question of the customer experience. If we keep in mind the need to create value for all stakeholders, the access/usage gap will be transformed, and we will move closer to a financially inclusive world.

Michael Miebach is president, Middle East and Africa for MasterCard. Based in Dubai, Mr. Miebach is responsible for driving the evolution of payments in markets across the Middle East and Africa region. Mr. Miebach recently joined the board of directors of Accion.

Image credit: Accion

Have you read?

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/10/13/the-data-story-in-the-fi2020-progress-report-on-credit-reporting/">The Data Story in the FI2020 Progress Report on Credit Reporting</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/10/08/why-we-gave-consumer-protection-a-5/">Why We Gave Consumer Protection a 5</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/10/05/toward-an-agent-free-world/">Toward an "Agent-Free" World</a>

Ubiquity, Safety, and Utility: The Trifecta of Success in Financial Inclusion

&gt; Posted by Susy Cheston, Senior Advisor, CFI

<img class="alignright wp-image-19853" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/thumb_d95a78ed16824c9ca5c524a6278705db.jpg" alt="" width="326" height="217" />Of the 700 million new accounts that the Global Findex reports were opened from 2011 to 2014:
<ul>
 	<li>Banks and other financial institutions accounted for 550 million;</li>
 	<li>Mobile network operators accounted for 100-240 million, depending on your source and methodology;</li>
 	<li>Microfinance institutions accounted for 50 million.</li>
</ul>
These numbers are rough and involve some overlap—but they point to the continued importance of commercial banks in financial inclusion. Put another way, of the 3.2 billion accounts reported in the 2014 Findex, 3.1 billion were accounts with a financial institution.

That’s why I was so interested in hearing what the commercial bankers had to say at an Institute of International Finance (IIF) roundtable held in Lima on October 9 alongside the International Monetary Fund (IMF) / World Bank meetings. The strategies they discussed for reaching the BoP were not new to those immersed in the financial inclusion world, but it was heartening to hear their commitment to putting those strategies into operation. Here are a few of the points from the discussion:

Use data to understand customers. Now more than ever, there is a wealth of available data to help us better understand customers at the base of the pyramid. These new customer insights are opening up new practices – from on-boarding, to cross-selling, to risk management. Data analytics can also enable cost reductions on credit and insurance. For example, ecommerce platforms for small manufacturers can facilitate credit offers and then arrange for automatic repayment from the ecommerce activity itself. This innovative use of data allows financing at half the cost.

Partner with last mile providers. Several banks credited their progress in reaching the BoP to partnerships with microfinance institutions, agent networks, mobile network operators, and retailers. In the case of Indonesia, they did the math. About 40 percent of the population has access to financial services, served by roughly 30,000 bank branches in the country. Yet with roughly 300,000 shops and a mobile penetration rate of 70 percent, there is a clear win if banks can figure out the partnership models with agents and mobile operators—including the questions of who owns the customer and how to structure revenue sharing.

Work with G2P and national ID programs to connect to large numbers of new customers. Large commercial financial institutions are partnering with governments to help deploy payments like conditional cash transfers. Such a partnership both serves the government and also supports the bank’s customer acquisition. Of course, this can be a huge undertaking, sometimes involving the entire population of a country. Banks operating in this space that are concerned about their capacity have started small, with plans to expand. Universal ID programs are helping make it easier to meet costly Know Your Customer requirements, most notably the Aadhaar program in India.

A stable and open regulation system is, of course, always helpful, as well as dialogue between the public and private sectors, including both financial and telco regulators. The roundtable particularly focused on the challenges of inconsistent and unclear supervision which is exacerbated by the introduction of new technology. When a supervisor with a great deal of discretion faces a new technology, anything can happen, and the resulting uncertainty can make banks shy away.

Understand the product introduction “ladder” (we call this on-ramps). Customers often begin with a single product and then progress to use a wider array of services. Roundtable participants seemed to agree that the most effective product introduction ladder is typically: cash in/cash out; bill pay; savings; and credit. (We’ll hope that insurance is included in the next discussion!)

Provide customer support. Without adequate focus on the customer, the services offered will likely fail. Providers must build customer understanding and gear product offerings accordingly. Clients must be treated with adequate care, including in the handling of newly emerging risks like data privacy. And integrating financial capability-building into product delivery, especially for new financial customers, is key.

IIF’s roundtable wasn’t the only inclusive finance activity at the IMF / World Bank meetings in Lima. On October 8, in a session entitled “Financial Inclusion: Can It Meet Multiple Macroeconomic Goals?”, an expert panel discussed the current state of financial inclusion, the impact of national commitments, and how the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will shape the future of national targets and methods used to advance progress. There was a consensus among panelists that financial inclusion plays a fundamental role in all levels of economic development. (A great recap of the session from the Alliance for Financial Inclusion is available, <a href="http://www.afi-global.org/news/2015/10/09/financial-inclusion-takes-center-stage-world-bank-imf-flagship-seminar-lima-peru">here</a>.) Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF, also put financial inclusion in the macro spotlight in her speech, delivered the following day. And in the Civil Society Policy Forum accompanying the IMF meeting, the Microcredit Summit Campaign focused on ways financial inclusion can contribute to ending extreme poverty.

Image credit: Accion

Have you read?

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/04/24/fintech-for-fi2020-a-conversation-on-aligning-technology-and-partnerships-for-financial-inclusion/">FinTech for FI2020: A Conversation on Aligning Technology and Partnerships for Financial Inclusion</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/04/28/global-findex-offers-next-steps-for-how-to-give-people-bank-accounts/">Global Findex Offers Next Steps for How to Give People Bank Accounts</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/10/01/rating-progress-toward-financial-inclusion-on-a-scale-of-1-to-10/">Rating Progress toward Financial Inclusion on a Scale of 1 to 10</a>

Are Commercial Banks Ready to Serve the Base of the Pyramid?

Investors

&gt; Posted by Sonja E. Kelly, CFI

A couple months ago we announced a <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/cfi-and-accion-research-fellows">new program</a> coming out of the Center for Financial Inclusion and Accion designed to produce actionable research for the microfinance and financial inclusion industry. We’ve been busy since, overwhelmed by the positive response we had to our announcement, and torn between many high-quality research proposals.

In recent days we selected four fellows to carry out research that we think will have an influence on the future of financial inclusion. Without further adieu, I would like to introduce you to…


<img class="alignright wp-image-19425" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/guy1.png" alt="" width="150" height="157" />Guy Stuart, Microfinance Opportunities 

“Is G2P an On-Ramp to Financial Inclusion?”

Guy will ask whether G2P payments serve as an on-ramp to financial inclusion, and what factors best explain the successful transition from cashing out G2P payments to active use of an account. The research will study this in-depth in two countries, Pakistan and Colombia, using the Benazir Income Support Program and the Familias en Accion program as bases for analysis. The research will be supported by the Pakistan Microfinance Network and Centro de Formacion Empresarial de la Fundacion Maria Santo Domingo, using key informant interviews, focus groups, and site-based observations of G2P transactions. Guy is the Executive Director of Microfinance Opportunities. He has extensive experience conducting research on the financial capabilities of low-income consumers.

<img class="alignright wp-image-19428" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/bio-pic-1.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="147" />Leon Perlman, Independent Consultant 

“Challenges of Technology Access in Enhancing Financial Inclusion”

Leon’s research will look in detail at the opportunities and challenges of the current and projected technological evolution. The research focuses specifically on changing technology, bearer services, access platforms, and user devices. To articulate these challenges and opportunities, Leon will take a market-level approach to policy, pricing, access coverage, cost of devices, challenges to security, and usability. Leon Perlman is a PhD-level expert in digital financial services, payments systems, financial inclusion, mobile technology, and compliance, with over 16 years of experience in the sector. He has also advised central banks, finance ministries, the ITU, the Gates Foundation, GSMA, the World Bank/IFC, and the World Economic Forum.

<img class="alignright wp-image-19429" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/christy.png" alt="" width="150" height="148" />Christy Stickney, Independent Consultant 

“Financing the Growth of Enterprise (How did they do it?!?)”

Christy will ask the question of how entrepreneurs transition from microenterprises to small businesses. By looking at time series data from financial institutions and enterprises in multiple markets, her research will identify patterns and practices among entrepreneurs who have utilized financial services while successfully growing their businesses. The research will also leverage face-to-face interviews with selected clients and their loan officers beyond institution-level data. The purpose of the research is to offer insight into what a successful business model would be for MFIs seeking to expand their outreach into the small business sector, and better serve their current client base in growing their enterprises beyond the micro-level. Christy has been engaged in microfinance since 1993, having developed loan and savings products for women micro-entrepreneurs and then going on to design a variety of other types of financial products and services. Since 2010 she has worked as a consultant in financial services and inclusive market development, and is based in Costa Rica.

<img class="alignright wp-image-19431" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/amy.png" alt="" width="150" height="188" />Amy Jensen Mowl, IFMR Finance Foundation 

“Big Data for Financial and Social Inclusion: Opportunities and Challenges for Alternative Data and Credit Analytics in India”

In developing countries, “big data” analytics has been touted as having the power to unlock the door to more fair, convenient, equitable financial access to all citizens. While its promise is compelling, the evidence on the ground is thin, and recent debates in high-income countries have highlighted very real fears that these data and technologies will exacerbate the financial and social inequities they were engineered to alleviate. Amy’s work attempts to fill the knowledge gap in India and serve as a starting point for a longer-term, action-oriented engagement with stakeholders in the sector. Amy Jensen Mowl is a development economist based in India specializing in financial inclusion. She has nearly a decade of experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research in the country, her most recent focus being on the institutional and structural barriers to financial inclusion.

We look forward to sharing with you the fellows' research as they move forward!

The research fellows webpage can be found <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/programs-a-projects/cfi-and-accion-research-fellows">here</a>.

Have you read?

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/09/14/increasing-poverty-outreach-suggestions-from-recent-research/">Increasing Poverty Outreach: Suggestions from Recent Research</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/04/03/new-research-highlights-increasing-use-of-alternative-data-in-credit-reporting/">New Research Highlights Increasing Use of Alternative Data in Credit Reporting</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/03/19/individually-tailored-financial-education-what-research-tells-us-is-possible/">Individually Tailored Financial Education: What Research Tells Us Is Possible </a>

Announcing… CFI and Accion’s Research Fellows

<img class="alignright wp-image-18670" style="border: 0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/fellows-prog.png?w=490" alt="" width="270" height="219" />We are looking for four research fellows to explore some of the most relevant and exciting questions facing the financial inclusion community. Interested?

Before answering, some background. A few months ago we <a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/05/12/big-unanswered-questions-in-financial-inclusion-calling-on-readers-to-weigh-in/">articulated</a> some ambitious unanswered questions that we think will propel financial inclusion forward, and offered the space for you to contribute questions, too (many thanks to those of you who made suggestions!). Since the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion is committed to figuring out what is working in financial inclusion and worth replicating, we have made it a priority to partner this year with researchers to explore some of these questions in greater detail.

And that’s where you come in.

We are looking for researchers who are interested in becoming fellows for the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion’s brand new Fellows Program. The Fellows Program will empower independent researchers to systematically analyze some of the most important and critical challenges facing the industry. This year, we are selecting four fellows to explore the following topics:
<ul>
 	<li>What are the conditions for “on-ramps” to lead to deeper inclusion? With the World Bank’s commitment to Universal Financial Access and the Better Than Cash Alliance’s pursuit of G2P payments, both of which focus on connecting people to transaction accounts, the next question is how (and whether) such connections lead to greater inclusion, through either active account usage or access to additional products. What cases demonstrate successful on-ramps and what factors or strategies enabled deeper inclusion to take place? Research could examine one or several examples.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
 	<li>Impact of ubiquitous Internet access on the business models for financial inclusion. By 2020, the vast majority of the world’s people will have access to Internet through smart phones and tablets. Internet access could transform the way financial service providers and customers interact. For example, SMS could be displaced as the main mobile money channel by apps that connect directly to customers, altering the respective roles of mobile network operators and financial institutions. App-based services could also facilitate a richer interface with customers, involving local languages, scripts and pictures, among other features. What scenarios are possible or likely? What can be learned from offerings to date?</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Clients that grow from microenterprise to small business. An increasing number of longer term clients in the portfolios of Accion partner microfinance institutions (MFIs) began working with their MFIs as microenterprises and have since grown into small businesses with higher turnover and more employees. This phenomenon merits closer examination in order to identify the factors that have supported such growth and the financial service needs of these enterprises when they reach larger scale. Research questions might include: prevalence of such clients; their characteristics; growth path and history as clients; and/or current sources and uses of financial services. Research could draw from administrative data provided by the MFI, surveys or interviews with clients, or a combination.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li>Cost savings from technology in microfinance delivery. Accion partner MFIs have taken various initiatives to incorporate technology into their operations with a view to reducing costs. These steps include use of data analytics to streamline the credit underwriting process, digital field applications to boost the productivity of front line staff or agents, and transaction automation such as mobile payments to reduce the cost of handling transactions. Research on this question could either focus on one type of technology use and assess its results across several institutions or, if a suitable methodology were available, it could look at results across technology types.</li>
</ul>
Fellowships will last from 4-12 months (depending on the timeline articulated in the research proposal), and fellows will have access to the resources of the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion. In some cases fellows will be able to leverage data generated from Accion institutions or investments. In addition to these benefits, research the fellows undertake will be actively disseminated through Accion’s network, and even more broadly.

We would like to invite you to propose a research project under this program, or, if the opportunity isn’t right for you, to share the announcement with your network. We are accepting proposals until 11:59 pm August 11, 2015 EST. The most competitive proposals will be ones that clearly and specifically articulate a feasible research methodology, budget, and timeline. Applicants most suited to the program will be ones who clearly understand the relevance of their research for financial inclusion, and who can demonstrate previous experience with the methodology and/or research topic.

For more details, see the full announcement <a href="http://bit.ly/1O9OV7o" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> or contact Sonja E. Kelly at <a href="mailto:skelly@accion.org">skelly@accion.org</a>. We look forward to hearing from you!

Have you read?

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/04/24/fintech-for-fi2020-a-conversation-on-aligning-technology-and-partnerships-for-financial-inclusion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FinTech for FI2020: A Conversation on Aligning Technology and Partnerships for Financial Inclusion</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/04/03/new-research-highlights-increasing-use-of-alternative-data-in-credit-reporting/">New Research Highlights Increasing Use of Alternative Data in Credit Reporting</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/07/08/remittances-as-an-on-ramp-to-financial-inclusion-lets-deliver-on-the-promise/">Remittances as an On-Ramp to Financial Inclusion: Let's Deliver on the Promise!</a>

Calling All Inquiring Minds! Our New Research Fellows Program Is Accepting Applications

&gt; Posted by Sonja Kelly, Fellow, CFI

<a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/globalfindex/infographics#2"><img class="alignright wp-image-17975" style="border: 0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/shareable_01.png?w=490" alt="" width="376" height="188" /></a>In 2013, Elisabeth Rhyne was asked what she was particularly excited about as she looked forward to the future of financial inclusion. Her response? “A second data point.”

Well, now we have that second data point. The 2014 Global Findex reports that <a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/04/15/sixty-two-percent-of-the-world-is-banked-the-new-global-findex-finds/">62 percent</a> of people in the world have a bank or mobile money account, up from 51 percent in 2011, and those two points describe a line. Simply projecting that line forward takes the world to about 83 percent of people with accounts by the year 2020. But of course, that’s not the whole story…

The Global Findex encouragingly articulates some concrete steps that governments and providers can take to accelerate progress toward financial access. I would venture to guess that these steps would bridge the gap between the projected 83 percent and the full 100 percent by 2020 (you can read about the World Bank’s goal of universal access by 2020 <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/10/11/universal-financial-access-vital-reducing-poverty-innovation-jim-yong-kim">here</a>).

So let’s just assume that universal access will be a reality by 2020. We can envision a world in the near future where people receive wages, government payments, and remittances into their bank accounts. Businesses spend less on payroll and have fewer risks than if they paid out in cash. Governments avoid corruption associated with social benefit payments by having a cheaper G2P system that entails fewer human intermediaries. Remittances are cheap—or even free—and go directly into the recipient’s bank account. Cause for celebration, right?

Well, yes, but not so fast.

What’s missing from this world is a description of the quality of financial services for the customer. Financial access will mean a lot of good things for a lot of stakeholders—reduced corruption, lower cost of employment, and massive savings for government, to name a few. But financial access does not necessarily mean improved lives for the two billion people around the world who may have a new account by 2020.

<a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Full financial inclusion</a> is a lot more than access to a transaction account. Services will have to come with quality in order to be relevant to consumers. If products are well-designed to meet the needs of consumers, then we will have a great deal to celebrate by 2020. But if customers receive wages, government payments, and remittances into a bank account and then withdraw them right away, financial inclusion will have just created a different (but only marginally better) way for people at the base of the economic pyramid to interact with their money.

At our <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/fi2020">FI2020</a> roundtable co-hosted with the Institute for International Finance (<a href="https://www.iif.com/">IIF</a>) this week, one of the themes that emerged was this difference between access and quality. You can give a person an account, but if the account sits unused, or if it serves the same function that a cash payment would serve, or if the owner of the account doesn’t even remember they have it, its use is minimal or even nil.

Instead of trying to fit people to existing products, financial inclusion has a responsibility to fit products to people’s needs. We have the tools to create products for the mother who wants to pay her child’s school fees without carrying a pile of cash to the school on the first day of the term, for the family who wants to create a new floor in their house but needs a loan, or for the older person who needs to receive her pension but cannot walk all the way to the post office to collect it. Financial inclusion is a vision for improved lives—and financial services are just a means to an end.

Getting back to the Findex, I was most excited this year by the question that started to address this “so what” issue of financial services. The questionnaire asks respondents, “Could you come up with [insert 1/20 of GNI per capita here] in the next month if you had to?” (In the US, 1/20 of GNI per capita is about $2,600 just to provide some perspective.) In developing countries, 26 percent of people reported they would be able to come up with the money from their own savings. But more than half of this group said that they do not save in a formal financial institution—and if they had the right product it is possible their answer wouldn’t be “no”. Now that we are well on our way to addressing the problem of lack of access to financial services, let’s start to turn the conversation to quality so that we can achieve not just access but full financial inclusion.

Have you read?

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/04/15/sixty-two-percent-of-the-world-is-banked-the-new-global-findex-finds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sixty-Two Percent of the World Is Banked, the New Global Findex Finds</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/04/21/global-leaders-issue-commitments-to-universal-financial-access-by-2020/">Global Leaders Issue Commitments to Universal Financial Access by 2020</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2012/12/14/announcing-the-launch-of-the-global-financial-inclusion-global-findex-microdata/">Announcing the Launch of the Global Financial Inclusion (Global Findex) Microdata</a>

Financial Inclusion by 2020? It Depends.

[caption id="attachment_17952" align="alignright" width="331"]<a href="http://live.worldbank.org/universal-financial-access-2020"><img class="wp-image-17952" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/jim-kim.png" alt="" width="331" height="187" /></a> Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group[/caption]

&gt; Posted by Center Staff

Among the excitement of the World Bank Spring Meetings last week, key players in financial inclusion declared actionable commitments toward the goal of universal financial access by 2020 in a <a href="http://live.worldbank.org/universal-financial-access-2020">standout session</a>. Those committing included banks, associations, payment companies, and telcos. The message of the commitments, and of the session’s panel discussion, was that we’ve achieved remarkable progress in the past few years, the goal of universal access by 2020 is very much in reach, and both of these are due in no small part to the aligning of stakeholder incentives and powerful partnerships. The panel highlighted that in three short years, the number of unbanked adults around the world dropped from 2.5 billion to 2.0 billion, according to the <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/globalfindex" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2014 Global Findex</a>.

The focus of the panel was mobilizing the public and private sectors to achieve the goal of universal financial access. Although achieving access is just the first step toward inclusion, it is a bridge to effective services usage, as well as to other development objectives like adequate housing, education, clean water, and healthcare. During the session, panelist Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group said, “If we reach universal financial access by 2020, we’re going to have a much better chance of getting to the end of poverty by 2030.” One particularly promising avenue to expanding access is digitizing government payments. Ajay Banga, CEO of MasterCard shared that 30 percent of the money that flows into the hands of the under-banked comes from governments. Delivering these payments into a mobile phone, card, or cloud-based account that can be accessed using biometric technology or other non-limiting customer-identification methods brings tremendous benefits. In this way, by migrating their social benefits from cash to electronic, Pakistan opened 3 million debit accounts in six months. Countries with national financial inclusion strategies achieve twice the increase in the number of account-holders compared to countries that don’t have strategies in place.

In Indonesia, where only 60 million, or about a quarter of the population, has financial access, the government recently passed enabling regulation on agent, branchless, and mobile banking, and partnered with the country’s three-biggest mobile network operators (covering about 90 percent of the market) to distribute the government’s conditional cash transfers. Panelist Budi Gunadi Sadikin, President of Indonesia’s Bank Mandiri indicated that the project is aiming to reach 15.5 million of the country’s poorest families this year. Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, UNSG’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development emphasized the role of governments, regulators, and supervisors in supporting an environment for responsible, transparent, competitive, and scalable private sector activity. Banga noted that partnerships aren’t just between the public and private sectors, but also between private players along with NGOs and opinion leaders.

For more on the session discussions, watch the full video recording <a href="http://live.worldbank.org/universal-financial-access-2020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

As reported during the session, here are the commitments towards universal access by 2020:
<ul>
 	<li><a href="http://www.worldbank.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The World Bank Group</a> - Support national authorities and the private sector to reach up to one billion people who are financially excluded</li>
 	<li><a href="http://www.mastercard.us/">MasterCard</a> – Reach a total of 500 million individuals through their programs</li>
 	<li><a href="http://usa.visa.com/index.jsp">Visa</a> – Provide electronic payment accounts to 500 million underserved people</li>
 	<li><a href="http://www.bandhanmf.com/bn_default.aspx">Bandhan</a> – 20 million savings accounts and 10 million credit customers</li>
 	<li><a href="http://www.equitybank.co.ke/">Equity Bank</a> - Reach 50 million clients in Africa</li>
 	<li><a href="http://www.gbaforwomen.org/">Global Banking Alliance for Women</a> – Provide financial access to 1.8 million women in Latin America and Africa</li>
 	<li><a href="http://microfinanceceoworkinggroup.org/">Microfinance CEO Working Group</a> – 70 million new accounts around the world</li>
 	<li><a href="http://www.microcreditsummit.org/">Microcredit Summit Campaign</a> – Expand their outreach to at least 53 million of the world’s poorest families</li>
 	<li><a href="http://www.ooredoo.com/en/">Ooredo</a> – 17 million mobile financial service customers</li>
 	<li><a href="http://www.telenor.com/">Telenor</a> – 50 percent of its customers to use their mobile phones for financial services</li>
 	<li><a href="http://www.woccu.org/">World Council of Credit Unions</a> – Reach an additional 50 million people through credit union services</li>
 	<li><a href="http://www.savings-banks.com/">WSBI</a> – Committed to the goal of “an account for everyone” building on its member institutions base of 950 million customers</li>
</ul>
With the World Bank Spring Meetings at a close, and our better sense of progress thanks to the new Global Findex, it feels as though we’ve entered a new phase in the quest to achieve financial inclusion. It’s outstanding to see that in the months and years ahead, support and enthusiasm for this goal, across sectors and industries, has reached new heights.

Have you read?

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2015/04/15/sixty-two-percent-of-the-world-is-banked-the-new-global-findex-finds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sixty-Two Percent of the World Is Banked, the New Global Findex Finds</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2014/09/24/where-is-microfinance-heading-and-are-partnerships-the-answer/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Where Is Microfinance Heading and Are Partnerships the Answer?</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2013/10/11/newsflash-world-bank-president-sets-goal-of-universal-financial-access-by-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsflash: World Bank President Sets Goal of Universal Financial Access by 2020</a>

Global Leaders Issue Commitments to Universal Financial Access by 2020

&gt; Posted by Sonja Kelly, Fellow, CFI

<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/43822863@N08/4036652087/"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-16710" style="margin-top:5px;margin-bottom:5px;border:0 solid #000000" src="https://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/4036652087_6af5997657_z.jpg" alt="" width="565" height="387" /></a>Last week in Mexico City, tens of thousands of people <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/11/20/mexico-protests/70016138/">took to the streets</a> to voice their hope for a better Mexico. In a hotel that overlooked the demonstration, members of the World Savings Bank Institute <a href="http://responsiblefinanceforum.org/event/20th-wsbi-latin-america-caribbean-regional-group-meeting-2014/">met</a> to talk about how to make a safer and more effective financial system for those at the base of the pyramid. In terms of inclusive finance, in recent months we’ve seen significant progress. During the meeting, Vice President of the National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) in Mexico, Bernardo Gonzalez, opened his remarks by putting up a list of the top 10 countries in this year’s <a href="http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/publications-a-resources/browse-publications/534-global-microscope">Global Microscope</a>. Modestly, he pointed out that five of the 10 were from Latin America. Perhaps more emphatically, he highlighted Mexico’s place—fifth on the list.

As a regulator, he should be proud. Mexico’s score this year is in part a reflection of the regulatory reforms that the country has been moving forward, with attention to customers at the base of the economic pyramid. While Mexico’s microfinance sector has been under scrutiny in recent years because of notoriously high interest rates, concerns of over-indebtedness, and commercial banks hesitant to go “down-market”, <a href="http://www.bnamericas.com/news/banking/could-reforms-unlock-mexicos-huge-microfinance-potential">a new set of microfinance regulations attempts to change things</a>.

The CNBV has announced that – to better manage the country’s complex financial services sector – it will consolidate, register, and monitor microfinance entities. These institutions will be required to disclose information on their loans to one of the two credit bureaus in Mexico, increasing the amount of information available on clients in order to aid decisions on credit-worthiness. Simultaneously, regulators have a broader commitment to resolving disputes and monitoring unfair practices. Rating agency S&amp;P reports that in light of these reforms, namely the consolidation efforts, 20 percent of microfinance institutions could disappear. However, those remaining will operate in an environment of increased transparency and accountability.

These reforms come alongside an effort from Condusef, the consumer protection regulator, to increase the decision-making power of consumers through a media campaign. The government institution will be encouraging people to take advantage of financial services that can help them better address their needs, while also providing them with financial education to help them make decisions.

In addition, Bansefi, Mexico’s public institution whose mandate is to provide financial services to those at the base of the pyramid, has unveiled its new Prospera program. The program couples electronic G2P payments with a line of credit, complimentary disaster insurance, and low-cost life and health insurance. Prospera will replace Bansefi’s Oportunidades program, and has <a href="http://eleconomista.com.mx/sistema-financiero/2014/09/07/bansefi-prospera-lanzan-tarjeta">received much media attention</a> in the last few weeks as it has begun its roll out.

As illustrated by the calls for a better Mexico on the streets of Mexico City, the reforms come at a good time. The microfinance industry, for example, has an outstanding loans penetration rate only 0.5 percent of GDP. Microfinance services have not yet reached a wide segment of the population, but those who do have access to microfinance services may be taking capital from multiple institutions, carrying balances that are too high for their incomes. An overhaul in the sector, defining the rules of engagement for institutions, increasing the amount of information about consumers, and empowering consumers to be more financially capable, could be the environment Mexico’s microfinance industry needs to thrive.

Image credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/43822863@N08/4036652087/" target="_blank">Accion</a>

Have you read?

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2014/11/10/the-global-microscope-2014-results-and-surprises/" target="_blank">The 'Global Microscope 2014': Results and Surprises</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2014/10/23/you-are-your-own-regulator/" target="_blank">You Are Your Own Regulator</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2013/10/22/combatting-exclusion-for-persons-with-disabilities-in-india-and-mexico/" target="_blank">Combatting Financial Exclusion for Persons With Disabilities in India and Mexico</a>

The Mexico Promise: A Better Microfinance Environment

&gt; Posted by Ignacio Mas, Independent Consultant

[getty src="167671003?et=uR2y4Uk5Q2Z9t8lgfgxKaw&amp;sig=zEY5giLvqM5m_YrmFNuKfc3Ja45XtZg8JCUoiXm5rEg=" width="594" height="376"]

I guess it happens in all human endeavors; we sometimes get carried away wishing things were the way we think they ought to be. Let me provide three cautionary observations relating to financial inclusion: about how we measure it, how we talk about it, and how we assess it. The point is not to dampen enthusiasm about the possibilities, but to reflect on our progress in a more realistic way.

Industry Showcases and the Numbers Game

Through numerous industry conferences and blogs, certain players get put up as shining examples for the industry to follow. M-Shwari is perhaps the latest one, I guess because it delivers large customer numbers to an industry that is still largely focused on coverage rather than usage, and it represents the kind of telco-bank partnership that many have been fantasizing about.

M-Shwari may indeed be every bit the financial inclusion success that it is made out to be, but how is one supposed to judge that, based on the sparse numbers that have been released? This is pretty much <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/groups/MShwari-PAR-credit-blacklists-lessons-4416977.S.5875716438848729089">all we know</a>: as of March 2014, 6.8 million registered customers, of which 3.6 million were active, collectively had $46 million in deposits and $14 million in loans outstanding; 15 percent of loan requests were approved, and 2.7 percent of loans were non-performing. Now, is the savings balance total the result of each of the 3.6 million active customers squirreling away $13 for a rainy (more like drizzly) day ($46m ÷ 3.6m = $13), or is it more likely that most of the savings comes from fewer than 100,000 busy traders who are saving $500 ($46m ÷ $500 = 92,000) in order to create more transactional head-room for their linked M-Pesa account? We just don´t know. But then, how can we have an opinion on M-Shwari's efficacy as a financial exclusion buster?

We must refrain from unduly extolling cases on which we have not been invited to know enough. We need to look beyond average balances, which are typically highly skewed by large balances at the very top of the distribution. Donors, policymakers, and pundits must start asking for customer distributions before parading any savings effort as a success.

Digitization of Payments and the Journey to Cash-Lite

What do we mean when we talk about digitization of G2P payments? Most government payments have for a long time been digitized, at least at source. No ministry holds a huge cash stash to pay pensions and welfare benefits. Now the trend is to pay these directly into beneficiaries' digital accounts, rather than to intermediary entities for onward distribution of the cash. But when beneficiaries are paid digitally, the practice pretty much universally is for them to withdraw the money in cash immediately and in full at local shops acting as agents, who have the thankless task of procuring the cash. So, in what sense has the payment been digitized? The same amount of cash is still involved, it just got to beneficiaries through a different channel. All we've done is outsource last mile cash distribution to retail outlets, via a financial service provider.

This is not to say there is no net benefit: account-based G2P payments are much less prone to corruption, and bank agents may be closer to where beneficiaries live than the old government cash distribution points. But people's money is for the most part no more electronic than it was before. And by the way, this is true as much for P2P as for G2P payments, and in Kenya as much as everywhere else.

Moreover, because most electronic accounts are largely empty, users do not have a natural preference for paying electronically at the corner store, so local electronic acceptance by local merchants does not take off. Contrary to frequent commentary, digitization of payments is therefore not leading to a cash-lite world. We are confusing the digitization of payments (how money moves around) with the <a href="http://community.businessfightspoverty.org/profiles/blogs/ignacio-mas-intensifying-mobile-money-usage">digitization of money</a> (how money is held).

Impact Evaluation and Silver Bullets

Few would argue that there are any silver bullets—understood as simple solutions to complicated problems—in development. We know that progress occurs from the interplay of various forces and interventions—access to education, information, markets, finance, infrastructure, legal and physical security, etc.—and that none of these individually stands a chance to transform lives. The impacts of finance happen mostly through indirect channels, through a process not unlike multiple particle collisions. So when we insist on measuring the impact of financial inclusion programs by carefully isolating single treatments/collisions, aren't we secretly wishing to find a silver bullet?

While I understand intellectually the need to conduct impact evaluation, how realistic is it to expect to find sustained, systematic impact from narrowly defined and precisely controlled financial interventions? How much mileage will we get from building ever-more precise Hadron Supercolliders in the social sciences?

I'm just sayin'...

Image credit: <a href="http://www.afi-global.org/policy-areas/other-financial-inclusion-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPA</a>

<img src="http://centerforfinancialinclusionblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/picture-174-1340397583.png" alt="" width="80" height="80" />

Ignacio Mas is an independent consultant. You can learn more about his work <a href="http://www.ignaciomas.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Have you read?

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2014/03/20/microfinance-and-savings-outreach-what-are-we-measuring/">Microfinance and Savings Outreach: What Are We Measuring?</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2013/04/10/measuring-and-missing-financial-inclusion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Measuring (and Missing) Financial Inclusion</a>

<a href="http://cfi-blog.org/2014/06/20/electronic-g2p-for-the-poor-does-electronic-social-protection-need-better-consumer-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electronic G2P for the Poor: Does Electronic Social Protection Need Better Consumer Protection?</a>

Reality Check: Three Ways We Hype Up Financial Inclusion Breakthroughs

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