Building Inclusive Financial Sectors For Development

In most developing countries, financial services are only available to a minority of the population. The majority have no savings accounts, do not receive credit from formal financial institutions and have no insurance policies. They seldom make or receive payments through financial institutions. The limited use of financial services in developing countries has become an international policy concern. The reason for concern about widespread financial "exclusion" in developing countries is straightforward: access to a well-functioning financial system can economically and socially empower individuals, in particular poor people, allowing them to better integrate into the economy of their countries, actively contribute to their development and protect themselves against economic shocks. The central question asked by this book is how to bring access to these fundamental services to all people in developing countries and thus accelerate their economic development and that of their countries. Inclusive finance - safe savings, appropriately designed loans for poor and low-income households and for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and appropriate insurance and payments services - can help people help themselves to increase incomes, acquire capital, manage risk and work their way out of poverty.

Building inclusive financial sectors improves people's lives, in particular those of the poor. A small loan, a savings account or an insurance policy can make a great difference to a low-income family. This publication aims to help policymakers develop national policies and strategies for building inclusive financial sectors. Based on experiences from around the world, it offers a menu of options for overcoming impediments to financial inclusiveness and also covers the policy, legal and regulatory environments.--Publisher's description.

"Beginning with key questions about clients of microfinance - Who are they? What financial services do they want? What is the impact of financial services on their lives? - the book examines all levels of the financial system. It shows what works, what does not work, and where more learning is needed. By focusing on promising models and practices, it offers a vision of how to achieve financial systems that will ultimately offer access for all."--BOOK JACKET.

'Access To Finance' addresses the challenges of making financial systems more inclusive, emulating successful ventures in new markets, and utilizing technologies and government policies to support the expansion of financial access.

Inclusive Financial Development provides theoretical and empirical analyses of the nature of financial inclusion. The contributing authors explore the impediments to inclusion that exist around the world, the macro and stability implications, and the regulation dimension.

The Asia Pacific region holds two thirds of the world's poor. Over the past few decades the region has seen the development of microfinance institutions which offer a wide variety of financial services for the poor. In an effort to enhance their outreach and positive impact on the poor, this volume attempts to discuss the issues associated with integrating microfinance programmes for poverty reduction into the formal financial sector. Publishing Agency: United Nations (UN).

This book aims to provide first-hand information for readers who are concerned about inclusive finance and sustainable development by summarizing China’s policy measures and practical innovations in the development of inclusive finance and expects to provide China’s experience for the development of inclusive finance in more regions. From a worldwide perspective, a large number of people had been excluded from formal financial services for a long time due to various factors. Even in developed economies with sound financial systems, relatively disadvantaged groups are often denied access to effective financial services. In 2005, the United Nations proposed the concept of Inclusive Finance, emphasizing the extension of financial services to less developed regions and low-income groups in society at an affordable cost by improving financial infrastructure and providing them with reasonably priced and convenient financial services. In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, making inclusive finance an important focus for achieving sustainable development. It has become a global consensus to vigorously develop inclusive finance. China has attached importance to improving financial services for disadvantaged groups such as rural residents, micro-, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and others. In 2013, Developing “Inclusive Finance” became China’s national strategy. In 2015, China formulated the Plan for Promoting the Development of Inclusive Finance (2016-2020). In 2016, during its presidency of the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), China proposed the issue of "Digital Financial Inclusion" and issued the G20 High-level Principles for Digital Financial Inclusion at the G20 Hangzhou Summit in the same year. Through policy guidance and active practice by the financial sector, China has gradually formed a unique development model of inclusive finance and achieved remarkable successes. Physical outlets, service machines and online service channels have been improved, and basic financial services have generally covered both urban and rural areas. The financial services for rural households and MSMEs have improved significantly. The efficiency and convenience of financial services have been significantly improved, and the satisfaction of financial services has significantly increased. China's experience in inclusive finance has been recognized by the international community. In 2017, five cases from China were selected in the G20 report on Digital Financial Inclusion: Emerging Policy Approaches.

During the 1990s, Emerging Europe and Central Asia (ECA) opted for a model of rapid financial development focused on bank credit expansion often funded by foreign capital. This model helped boost the financial inclusion of firms and households, but was also accompanied by lower financial efficiency and increased vulnerability to banking crises. The need for financial sector reforms has become more urgent as stagnating income growth, particularly of middle- to lower-income earners, is leading to increased dissatisfaction with the status quo of low productivity growth and limited access to opportunities. This demand for change can be the impetus for rebalancing financial policies to support higher and more inclusive growth. A healthy and balanced financial sector is needed to support structural adjustment in the oil dependent economies of the eastern side ECA and greater innovation in the countries of the western part of ECA. This report argues that financial development must reach beyond increasing access to credit. ECA countries should strive to build balanced financial systems integrating both bank and non-bank markets, enabling prudent financial inclusion. Most importantly, ECA falls significantly behind other world regions in the use of saving products. Striking the right balance across all dimensions of financial development (stability, efficiency, inclusion, and overall depth) is crucial for achieving and sustaining inclusive growth.