Financial Inclusion As A Tool For Poverty Reduction In The Middle East And North Africa

Author : Stefan Johnson
Publisher : GRIN Verlag
Page : 103 pages
File Size : 55,7 Mb
Release : 2016-06-28
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9783668248649

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Financial Inclusion as a Tool for Poverty Reduction in the Middle East and North Africa by Stefan Johnson Pdf

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 : Farrukh Iqbal
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 136 pages
File Size : 52,7 Mb
Release : 2006
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780821365281

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Sustaining Gains in Poverty Reduction and Human Development in the Middle East and North Africa by Farrukh Iqbal Pdf

This book reviews the experience of the MENA region with poverty and human development since the mid-1980s. It finds that poverty rates did not decline by much during this period while health and education indicators improved substantially. The stagnation of poverty rates is ascribed to the stagnation of the region's economies during this period while the improvement in human indicators is likely due to several factors including improvement in the delivery of public health and education services.

Author : Asli Demirguc-Kunt,Leora Klapper,Dorothe Singer,Saniya Ansar
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 148 pages
File Size : 54,7 Mb
Release : 2018-04-19
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781464812682

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The Global Findex Database 2017 by Asli Demirguc-Kunt,Leora Klapper,Dorothe Singer,Saniya Ansar Pdf

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 : Mr.Hamid R Davoodi,Mr.George T. Abed
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
Page : 44 pages
File Size : 50,7 Mb
Release : 2003-09-05
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 1589062299

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Challenges of Growth and Globalization in the Middle East and North Africa by Mr.Hamid R Davoodi,Mr.George T. Abed Pdf

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is an economically diverse region. Despite undertaking economic reforms in many countries, and having considerable success in avoiding crises and achieving macroeconomic stability, the region’s economic performance in the past 30 years has been below potential. This paper takes stock of the region’s relatively weak performance, explores the reasons for this out come, and proposes an agenda for urgent reforms.

Author : Mr.Carlo A. Sdralevich,MissRanda Sab,Mr.Younes Zouhar,Ms.Giorgia Albertin
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
Page : 130 pages
File Size : 48,5 Mb
Release : 2014-07-09
Category : Technology & Engineering
ISBN : 9781498348461

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Subsidy Reform in the Middle East and North Africa by Mr.Carlo A. Sdralevich,MissRanda Sab,Mr.Younes Zouhar,Ms.Giorgia Albertin Pdf

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries price subsidies are common, especially on food and fuels. However, these are neither well targeted nor cost effective as a social protection tool, often benefiting mainly the better off instead of the poor and vulnerable. This paper explores the challenges of replacing generalized price subsidies with more equitable social safety net instruments, including the short-term inflationary effects, and describes the features of successful subsidy reforms.

Author : Johannes G. Hoogeveen,Gladys Lopez-Acevedo
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 292 pages
File Size : 52,5 Mb
Release : 2021-12-20
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781464817779

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Distributional Impacts of COVID-19 in the Middle East and North Africa Region by Johannes G. Hoogeveen,Gladys Lopez-Acevedo Pdf

COVID-19 is one of multiple crises to have hit the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in the decade following the Arab Spring. War, oil price declines, economic slowdowns, and now a pandemic are tearing at the social fabric of a region characterized by high rates of unemployment, high levels of informality, and low annual economic growth. The economic costs of the pandemic are estimated at about US$227 billion, and fiscal support packages across MENA are averaging 2.7 percent of GDP, putting pressure on already weak fiscal balances and making a quick recovery challenging. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, MENA was the only region in the world experiencing increases in poverty and declines in life satisfaction. Distributional Impacts of COVID-19 in the Middle East and North Africa Region investigates how COVID-19 changed the welfare of individuals and households in the region. It does so by relying on phone surveys implemented across the region and complements these with microsimulation exercises to assess the impact of COVID-19 on jobs, income, poverty, and inequality. The two approaches complement and corroborate each other's results, thereby making the findings more robust and richer. This report's results show that, in the short run, poverty rates in MENA will increase significantly and inequality will widen. A group of 'new poor' is likely to emerge that may have difficulty recovering from the economic consequences of COVID-19. The report adds value by analyzing newly gathered primary data, along with projections based on newly modeled micro- and macrosimulations, and by identifying key issues that policy makers should focus on to enable a quick, inclusive, and sustained economic recovery.

Author : Mr. Roberto Cardarelli,Ms. Mercedes Vera-Martín,Mr. Subir Lall
Publisher : International Monetary Fund
Page : 150 pages
File Size : 44,7 Mb
Release : 2022-10-11
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9798400200038

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Promoting Inclusive Growth in the Middle East and North Africa by Mr. Roberto Cardarelli,Ms. Mercedes Vera-Martín,Mr. Subir Lall Pdf

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 : Muhamed Zulkhibri,Abdul Ghafar Ismail
Publisher : Springer
Page : 319 pages
File Size : 55,6 Mb
Release : 2017-11-30
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9783319697994

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Financial Inclusion and Poverty Alleviation by Muhamed Zulkhibri,Abdul Ghafar Ismail Pdf

This book explores the relationships between financial inclusion, poverty and inclusive development from Islamic perspectives. Financial inclusion has become an important global agenda and priority for policymakers and regulators in many Muslim countries for sustainable long-term economic growth. It has also become an integral part of many development institutions and multilateral development banks in efforts to promote inclusive growth. Many studies in economic development and poverty reduction suggest that financial inclusion matters. Financial inclusion, within the broader context of inclusive development, is viewed as an important means to tackle poverty and inequality and to address the sustainable development goals (SDGs). This book contributes to the literature on these topics and will be of interest to researchers and academics interested in Islamic finance and financial inclusion.

Author : Inoue Takeshi,Hamori Shigeyuki
Publisher : World Scientific
Page : 164 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2019-05-09
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9789813279100

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Financial Inclusion, Remittance Inflows, And Poverty Reduction In Developing Countries: Evidence From Empirical Analyses by Inoue Takeshi,Hamori Shigeyuki Pdf

Many empirical analyses have demonstrated that financial inclusion and remittance inflows both indicate the potential of finance to resolve issues of growth and poverty in developing countries. Based on a wide-ranging review of prior research and empirical analyses from a new perspective, this book aims to systematically clarify the relations between financial inclusion, remittance inflows, economic growth, and poverty reduction in developing countries, revealing a new role for development finance.

Author : Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary,Roohallah Aboojafari,Naoyuki Yoshino
Publisher : Taylor & Francis
Page : 346 pages
File Size : 40,5 Mb
Release : 2022-12-28
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781000807523

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Innovative Finance for Technological Progress by Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary,Roohallah Aboojafari,Naoyuki Yoshino Pdf

Innovative businesses and startups contribute to job creation, economic growth, and technological advancement in most countries. Finance helps nurture innovative firms like startups. Unfortunately, most startups and innovative projects cannot secure finance through the usual and conventional methods. This book goes beyond traditional financing to explore innovative ways to help finance startups and novel businesses. The book covers institutional innovation, innovation in products and processes, and the recent progress in financial innovations in various countries through empirical and case studies. It gives an in-depth look at regulatory, policy frameworks, and risk assessments for financial innovations. It also assesses the role of various innovations, including Fintech, machine learning, big data, scoring models, credit databases, digital platforms, credit guarantees in funding startups, and novel technologies. This book offers valuable insights into how policymakers can nurture a more conducive ecosystem for startups and technologies through innovative finance.

Author : Tony Cavoli,Rashesh Shrestha
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 299 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2021-03-04
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781000348897

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Financial Inclusion in Asia and Beyond by Tony Cavoli,Rashesh Shrestha Pdf

The World Bank considers financial inclusion to be an enabler for at least 7 of the 17 United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDGs). Financial inclusion, with its associated policy implications, is an important issue for ASEAN. This book examines the economic effects of financial inclusion. It explores issues surrounding measurement and impact of financial inclusion. The book looks at various, salient topics including measurement of financial inclusion, the impact of (various indicators of) financial inclusion on development outcomes and macroeconomic volatility using aggregate data, as well as the effects of financial inclusion on poverty and development outcomes using micro data.

Author : Essam Yassin Mohammed,Zenebe Bashaw Uraguchi
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 294 pages
File Size : 43,8 Mb
Release : 2017-12-12
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781351595117

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Financial Inclusion for Poverty Alleviation by Essam Yassin Mohammed,Zenebe Bashaw Uraguchi Pdf

More than one billion people still live below the poverty line – most of them in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Financial inclusion is a major issue, as more than three-quarters of the numbers of poor and disadvantaged women and men do not have access to financial products and services, such as bank accounts, affordable and suitable loans, and insurance. The key objective of this book is to provide practical case studies of financial inclusion, rather than focus on academic debates such as the ideological basis of promoting microfinance. Using the recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals as an overall framing of the issues, it shows how poor and disadvantaged women and men can be bankable if the right facilitation for maximizing opportunities and addressing constraints are in place. Case studies confirm that achieving inclusive and sustainable access to financial products and services goes beyond simply enabling poor and disadvantaged women and men to have access to credit, or the ability to open a bank account. Examples from Africa, Asia and Latin America demonstrate encouraging progress in making microcredit accessible to millions of poor people. The foremost challenge, however, has been to ensure that they have access to, and usage intensity of, suitable and affordable financial products and services that meet the needs of their livelihoods as well as risks and mitigation strategies. This requires understanding that poor and disadvantaged women and men do not exist in isolation from complex and interdependent functions in the financial system, which includes a number of actors, diversified services, constraints (not just symptoms) and capacities and incentives. Overall, the book provides a rich source of examples of how building inclusive financial systems can empower the world's poor – by increasing income and employment opportunities, securing livelihoods and reducing poverty.

Author : World Bank
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 222 pages
File Size : 41,8 Mb
Release : 2004
Category : Electronic books
ISBN : 0821356763

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Gender and Development in the Middle East and North Africa by World Bank Pdf

Author : Howard Thomas,Yuwa Hedrick-Wong
Publisher : Emerald Group Publishing
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 50,6 Mb
Release : 2019-04-10
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781789737790

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Inclusive Growth by Howard Thomas,Yuwa Hedrick-Wong Pdf

The book outlines a journey from enabling models of government and business to strategies for creating both financial and social inclusion and entrepreneurism as mechanisms for sustainable and inclusive growth.

Author : World Bank
Publisher : World Bank Publications
Page : 198 pages
File Size : 41,6 Mb
Release : 2018-12-10
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 9781464813603

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Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018 by World Bank Pdf

The World Bank Group has two overarching goals: End extreme poverty by 2030 and promote shared prosperity by boosting the incomes of the bottom 40 percent of the population in each economy. As this year’s Poverty and Shared Prosperity report documents, the world continues to make progress toward these goals. In 2015, approximately one-tenth of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty, and the incomes of the bottom 40 percent rose in 77 percent of economies studied. But success cannot be taken for granted. Poverty remains high in Sub- Saharan Africa, as well as in fragile and conflict-affected states. At the same time, most of the world’s poor now live in middle-income countries, which tend to have higher national poverty lines. This year’s report tracks poverty comparisons at two higher poverty thresholds—$3.20 and $5.50 per day—which are typical of standards in lower- and upper-middle-income countries. In addition, the report introduces a societal poverty line based on each economy’s median income or consumption. Poverty and Shared Prosperity 2018: Piecing Together the Poverty Puzzle also recognizes that poverty is not only about income and consumption—and it introduces a multidimensional poverty measure that adds other factors, such as access to education, electricity, drinking water, and sanitation. It also explores how inequality within households could affect the global profile of the poor. All these additional pieces enrich our understanding of the poverty puzzle, bringing us closer to solving it. For more information, please visit worldbank.org/PSP