The Canada Vietnam Remittance Corridor

Examining the experience of the Canada-Vietnam remittances corridor over the past several years, this title is a first step towards identifying the main features and pointing out some of the areas and issues that researchers and authorities should examine more closely.In contrast to the large size and advanced level of development of the U.S.-Mexico remittances corridor, examined in the first case study, the Canada-Vietnam corridor is small in absolute terms and still at a nascent stage of shifting from informal to formal systems.For purposes of discussion, 'The Canada-Vietnam Remittance Corridor' breaks down the remittance process into three stages: • the First Mile, when decisions are in the hands of the remittance sender; • the Intermediary Stage, comprising the systems that facilitate the cross-border transfer of funds, and; • the Last Mile, where the funds reach the hands of the remittance recipient. By analyzing the objectives, obstacles, incentives, and changes occurring at each of these stages in the Canada-Vietnam corridor, lessons are drawn for other remittance sending and receiving countries that seek to encourage formalization of the flows.

Examining the experience of the Canada-Vietnam remittances corridor over the past several years, this title is a first step towards identifying the main features and pointing out some of the areas and issues that researchers and authorities should examine more closely. In contrast to the large size and advanced level of development of the U.S.-Mexico remittances corridor, examined in the first case study, the Canada-Vietnam corridor is small in absolute terms and still at a nascent stage of shifting from informal to formal systems. For purposes of discussion, 'The Canada-Vietnam Remittance Corridor' breaks down the remittance process into three stages: - the First Mile, when decisions are in the hands of the remittance sender; - the Intermediary Stage, comprising the systems that facilitate the cross-border transfer of funds, and; - the Last Mile, where the funds reach the hands of the remittance recipient. By analyzing the objectives, obstacles, incentives, and changes occurring at each of these stages in the Canada-Vietnam corridor, lessons are drawn for other remittance sending and receiving countries that seek to encourage formalization of the flows.

Several economies in the Caribbean region, especially from the lower-income group, are highly dependent on remittances. Between 1991 and 2006, the combined flows of total remittances reaching the Caribbean have averaged almost 17 percent annual growth, surpassing US$6 billion in 2005 and overtaking the region’s total ODA and FDI inflows. In addition, remittances represent more than 20 percent of the domestic gross domestic product (GDP) in some Caribbean countries and have played a significant role in lessening both balance of payment deficits and the impact of natural disasters to which the region is particularly vulnerable. This study undertakes an analysis of the various dynamics underlying the Canada-Caribbean remittance corridor, including Caribbean migration issues and diaspora dynamics, remittance market landscapes, and regulatory frameworks. The study is intended to assist Canadian and Caribbean national authorities to sustain the continued growth and competitiveness of their remittance industries, while protecting them abuse by criminals. The study particularly emphasizes continued policy improvements in each country’s regulatory framework to improve financial sector development and to enhance poverty reduction.

Hawala and other remittance systems have gained attention in recent years with the substantial growth of remittance flows from countries with large migrant labor forces and with increased focus on combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The IMF and the World Bank have been researching these systems since 2002 to better understand the interplay of historical, cultural, and economic factors that promote such systems. This book is a survey of regulatory practices and an overview of experiences in different countries, and includes articles on regulatory frameworks in remitting and receiving countries and on the problems that can arise when regulating remittance systems.

This study is the first research work on remittances conducted in Nigeria and reveals the actual state of its remittance market. The report describes how United Kingdom residents of Nigerian origin transfer remittances home and how the funds are distributed to their beneficiaries in Nigeria. The review presents the remittance industry conditions existing in the UKNigeria remittance corridor at the origination and distribution stages of the transactions, and the intermediaries who facilitate the transfers. The report makes conclusions and compares these main findings with lessons from other corridors. The UK-Nigeria remittance corridor has an equal dominance of formal and informal remittance intermediaries. Although several formal financial institutions for transferring money exist in the UK, many people choose to send money informally. More collaboration between the UK and Nigeria is necessary to develop the remittance market, to encourage the use of formal channels, and to enhance the development potential. Among its benefits, the remittance country partnership (RCP) between UK and Nigeria aims to reduce the cost of remittance transfers. The Nigerian government is engaging its diaspora to help spur economic growth. This report recommends that each government focus on improving data collection at its end of the corridor and do more research to provide its policymakers and its private sector with accurate information.

Serbia has become one of the largest remittance-recipient countries in the world. It is estimated that in 2004 Serbia received US$2.4 billion dollars in remittances from Serbian workers in Germany, the United States, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, and other countries. This amount represented 12 percent of Serbia's GDP. This report provides an overview of remittance flows from Germany to Serbia and analyzes why a large part of remittance transfers take place outside financial institutions. The study presents a series of recommendations on needed policy changes to facilitate the transfer of remittance flows from the informal channels to licensed or registered financial institutions, thereby maximizing the developmental impact of remittances, reducing remittances fees, improving data collection practices, and strengthening the regulation and supervision of the money transfer industry.

The experience of Mexican nationals who send money home from the United States forms the basis for this study. The authors identify three stages of the remittance process: the First Mile, when decisions are in the hands of the remittance sender; the Intermediary Stage, comprising systems that facilitate the cross-border transfer of funds; and the Last Mile, where the funds reach the hands of the remittance recipient. This analysis, covering the last eight years, may provide guidance for other remittance sending and receiving countries that seek to encourage formalization of the flow.

In Malaysia, Indonesian migrants are showing an increasingly clear preference for informal transfer mechanisms compared to their counterparts in other countries. A little less than half of all Indonesian migrants overseas&—thought to be around 2 million&—are working in Malaysia. An increasing number of migrants are women, and the corridor is also marked by a high number of undocumented migrants. Despite the increasing flows of migrants, only about 10 percent of the estimated flow of remittances into Indonesia from Malaysia is transferred through the formal system. The extent of the preference fo.