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Author: Stefan Johnson
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668248648
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 109
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Book Description
Master's Thesis from the year 2014 in the subject Economics - Finance, grade: 3, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück (WiSo), course: International Business and Management, language: English, abstract: This paper observes the relationship between multiple variables in order to determine whether Financial Inclusion can be used as a tool for poverty reduction in the Middle East and North Africa. There are many reports that identify this to be function to something very likely as a tool around the world; however, there has been limited work regarding financial inclusion and the Middle East and North Africa. Through qualitative and quantitative research, this paper examines the possibility of this theory working in MENA. Wide income disparities, combined with government corruption, religious dispositions, and an overall lack of money are contributing barriers to the unbanked. These factors greatly limit the use of this tool until other issues are tackled and governments commit to more policies that will be conducive to growth; banks must be more open to lending; and people will have to become more financially literate. The World Bank, Gallup, the IMF, and various authors, in addition to the World Bank FINDEX dataset are used to reference information conceded by well-respected authors in the financial-, development-, and in the government sector. Although there seems to be a great deal of promise with the concept of Financial Inclusion as a Tool for Poverty Reduction world wide, it seems to be very limited in MENA, in the poverty-stricken nations. Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Yemen are observed in the report. Generally, there are barriers preventing the implementation of inclusiveness, which will prevent the advancement of poverty alleviation. More government commitment is required.
Author: Douglas Pearce
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
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Book Description
Author: Stefan Johnson
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3668248648
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 109
Get Book Here
Book Description
Master's Thesis from the year 2014 in the subject Economics - Finance, grade: 3, University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück (WiSo), course: International Business and Management, language: English, abstract: This paper observes the relationship between multiple variables in order to determine whether Financial Inclusion can be used as a tool for poverty reduction in the Middle East and North Africa. There are many reports that identify this to be function to something very likely as a tool around the world; however, there has been limited work regarding financial inclusion and the Middle East and North Africa. Through qualitative and quantitative research, this paper examines the possibility of this theory working in MENA. Wide income disparities, combined with government corruption, religious dispositions, and an overall lack of money are contributing barriers to the unbanked. These factors greatly limit the use of this tool until other issues are tackled and governments commit to more policies that will be conducive to growth; banks must be more open to lending; and people will have to become more financially literate. The World Bank, Gallup, the IMF, and various authors, in addition to the World Bank FINDEX dataset are used to reference information conceded by well-respected authors in the financial-, development-, and in the government sector. Although there seems to be a great deal of promise with the concept of Financial Inclusion as a Tool for Poverty Reduction world wide, it seems to be very limited in MENA, in the poverty-stricken nations. Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, and Yemen are observed in the report. Generally, there are barriers preventing the implementation of inclusiveness, which will prevent the advancement of poverty alleviation. More government commitment is required.
Author: Angela Lyons
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 46
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Book Description
Research finds many large disparities still in financial inclusion around the world. One region that is often overlooked is the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), which appears to be lagging all other developing regions when it comes to financial inclusion. We use data from the 2014 World Bank Global Findex and supplement it with indicators of financial literacy and other macroeconomic characteristics to investigate the factors that shape financial inclusion in the MENA region. We focus on those groups that have been traditionally vulnerable - women, youth, the less educated, and the poor - and in the case of MENA, the Syrian refugees. Financial inclusion is measured comprehensively in terms of both savings and borrowing behaviors. The findings show that economically vulnerable populations are significantly less likely to be financially included both in terms of savings and borrowing. Moreover, the gaps in financial inclusion are particularly large for women and youth as compared to other regions. Further, households living in MENA countries with higher levels of financial literacy are more likely to be engaged in positive savings behaviors and less likely to be borrowing, especially from informal sources. Financial literacy, however, does not relate to all individuals in the MENA region equally, especially among those populations most vulnerable. Other macro characteristics associated with a country's financial and technological infrastructure, economic development, political stability and legal rights also matter, but perhaps not as much as a country's level of financial literacy. The findings have important implications for public and private stakeholders who are working to design policies aimed at improving access to financial services in the MENA region, especially via financial literacy. Vulnerable groups in the MENA region likely require more targeted interventions that address their specific barriers to financial inclusion, as well as more targeted financial literacy initiatives that are tailored to meet their specific needs. Efforts such as these are particularly important for a region suffering from political, economic, and social conflict that makes financial inclusion an even more urgent, yet challenging, goal.
Author: Asli Demirguc-Kunt
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464812683
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 228
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Book Description
In 2011 the World Bank—with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation—launched the Global Findex database, the world's most comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk. Drawing on survey data collected in collaboration with Gallup, Inc., the Global Findex database covers more than 140 economies around the world. The initial survey round was followed by a second one in 2014 and by a third in 2017. Compiled using nationally representative surveys of more than 150,000 adults age 15 and above in over 140 economies, The Global Findex Database 2017: Measuring Financial Inclusion and the Fintech Revolution includes updated indicators on access to and use of formal and informal financial services. It has additional data on the use of financial technology (or fintech), including the use of mobile phones and the Internet to conduct financial transactions. The data reveal opportunities to expand access to financial services among people who do not have an account—the unbanked—as well as to promote greater use of digital financial services among those who do have an account. The Global Findex database has become a mainstay of global efforts to promote financial inclusion. In addition to being widely cited by scholars and development practitioners, Global Findex data are used to track progress toward the World Bank goal of Universal Financial Access by 2020 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The database, the full text of the report, and the underlying country-level data for all figures—along with the questionnaire, the survey methodology, and other relevant materials—are available at www.worldbank.org/globalfindex.
Author: The World Bank
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 0821388568
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 370
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Book Description
The countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been recovering from the global financial crisis, but the recent political turmoil has interrupted the pace of credit and output recovery in many countries. The political turmoil in the MENA region reveals deep-seated frustrations and a sense of political, social, and economic exclusion, especially among the youth. The relatively weak growth performance reflects a combination of insufficient reforms and weak reform implementation, including financial sector reforms. The structural weaknesses of financial sectors imply that access to finance may remain restricted even with a full recovery of credit activity. Therefore, the region s countries face an ambitious reform agenda to revert two decades of relatively poor performance of output and employment growth. Financial development should be a central component of the region s growth agenda. This study reviews the region s financial systems, the severity of the limitations on access to finance, and the main factors behind such limitations. It goes on to provide a road map for expanding access and preserving financial stability.
Author: Mr.Nicolas R Blancher
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN: 1484398173
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 73
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Book Description
The importance of financial inclusion is increasingly recognized by policymakers around the world. Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) financial inclusion, in particular, is at the core of the economic diversification and growth challenges many countries are facing. In the Middle East and Central Asia (MENAP and CCA) regions, SMEs represent an important share of firms, but the regions lag most others in terms of SME access to financing.
Author: Mr. Roberto Cardarelli
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 150
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Book Description
Despite some pre-pandemic gains in poverty reduction, literacy, and lifespans, many economies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have struggled to ensure that the benefits of economic development and diversification accrue equitably to all segments of their populations. Among the main issues that remain unresolved are the high share of inactive youth (who are not engaged in employment, education, or training); large gaps in economic opportunities for women; fragmented social protection systems; and underdeveloped private sectors with tight regulation, absence of a level playing field, and limited access to credit that stifle the creation of new firms and growth, employment, and incomes. The COVID-19 pandemic not only risks wiping out some of the progress made in the region over the past decades, but could also exacerbate inequality in a durable way. There is evidence that the impact of the pandemic has been uneven across groups, with the recession having a disproportionate effect on the low-skilled, the young, women, and migrant workers in employment and incomes. With widespread inequality, high unemployment, and the expected entry of 27 million young people into the labor force over the next 10 years, countries across the MENA region need to evolve their economic models to boost job creation and make sure that the benefits of economic development are shared more widely among all their citizens. This book’s objective is to reassess the inclusive growth agenda in the MENA region in light of the rapidly changing pandemic-influenced world. It argues that countries need to embrace global trade and technological advances and evolving demographics at home as an opportunity to successfully implement policies that foster higher and more inclusive growth. It underscores that a return to the old social contract is neither desirable nor feasible. The book presents a comprehensive view of policies suited to the regional context that would boost job-rich and inclusive growth within a resilient macroeconomic policy framework. Its goal is to provide guidance to policymakers in the region to frame how best to promote inclusive growth, including in their engagement with all stakeholders.
Author: Carlos Sakyi-Nyarko
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
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Book Description
Author: Rabah Arezki
Publisher: World Bank Publications
ISBN: 1464813671
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 98
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Book Description
"After a sharp fall in 2017, economic growth in MENA is projected to rebound to 3.1 percent in 2018, thanks to the positive global outlook, oil prices stabilizing at relatively higher levels, stabilization policies and reforms, and recovery and reconstruction as conflicts recede. The outlook for MENA remains positive, and the growth rebound is expected to gain momentum over the next two years, exceeding 3 percent in 2020. While stabilization policies have helped economies adjust in recent years, .a second phase of reforms is needed should be transformative if the region is to reach its potential and create jobs for hundred million young people who will enter the labor market in coming decades. In this report, we explore the role that public-private partnerships can play. not only in providing an alternative source of financing but in helping change the role of the state from the main provider of employment to an enabler of private sector activity. Studies have shown that the gap between MENA economies and fast-growing ones is the performance of the services sector. The disruptive technology offers new opportunities for boosting private-sector-led growth through enhancement of high-tech jobs in the services sector. The report argues that combining the region's fast-growing pool of university graduates and a heavy penetration of social media and smartphone, could serve as the foundation for a digital sector that could create much-needed private sector jobs for the youth over the next decade."
Author: Sylvana Selim
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
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Book Description
Financial Inclusion is one of the most important subjects that recently caught the attention of several international organizations, used as a tool to reduce poverty, achieve economic growth and improves income distribution. The Objective of this study is to assess the reasons behind the low financial inclusion in particular the MENA region by using the World Bank's Global FINDEX database to perform probit estimations on the demand-driven factors and regression on the institutional and country level. We find that being a woman, older, more educated and richer are more likely to be financially included. Determinants differ between formal and informal saving and lending activities. For instance, women and educated households are more likely to resort to formal finance. Cash remains to be the main receiving and sending mean for many transactions. On the supply side, households who have access to the basic infrastructure and utility services, being unemployed and living away from remote areas as well as geographically proximity to institutions' branches, have higher probability to be included. Microfinance is still centered and dominated by credit but offering saving services is the starting point and the roadmap to financial inclusion.
