Digitization

Decoding digital impact: A $45 billion opportunity in FMCG

The influence of digital in FMCG is often understated—India is severely lagging behind in digital spends despite a massive online population. By 2020, approximately $45 billion of the FMCG s…

Finclusion to Fintech: Fintech Product Development for Low-Income Markets

The paper presents detailed insights from 15 years of financial inclusion research to highlight the importance of fintech, including proposing product development ideas for Fintech players, to better serve developing world market.

Bringing E-money to the Poor: Successes and Failures

This report examines the successful lessons from Kenya, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and Thailand case studies of “gazelles", that leapt from limitation to innovation by successfully enabling the deployment of e-money technology.

China Breakthroughs: Pay it forward on cashless society

China cashing out as mobile payment soars (The Business Times)

China cashing out as mobile payment soars (AFP)

Digital Planet 2017: How Competitiveness and Trust in Digital Economies Vary Across the World

Today, over half of the world population lives in cities. By 2050, this number will increase to two-thirds. In this context, this study looks at the net benefits associated with adopting digital payments at the city-level.

Accelerating Financial Inclusion in South-East Asia with Digital Finance

Focussing on women, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the paper highlights that digital financial solutions could play a significant part in closing gaps in financial inclusion and povides insights from Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, and Myanmar.

In China, a Store of the Future—No Checkout, No Staff

CURRENCY OF TRUST: Consumer Behaviors and Attitudes Toward Digital Financial Services in India

Ten key insights were gleaned from the many factors that shape the consumer context in India. Five persons helped to distill the most influential consumer desires and challenges around techn…

Alipay, WeChat Near $3 Trillion

UN Report: Social Network Payments Now Reach Nearly US$3 Trillion in China

Social Networks, e-Commerce Platforms, and the Growth of Digital Payment Ecosystems in China: What it Means for Other Countries

This report examines two of China’s most far-reaching applications – WeChat and Alipay – and explores their role in the development of one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated digital payments ecosystems.

UN report: Social network payments now reach nearly US $3 trillion in China

Payments on messaging and e-commerce platforms set to increase China’s GDP by $236 billion by 2025, unlocking new economic opportunities for people and small businesses…

Digitizing Wage Payments in Bangladesh’s Garment Production Sector

This report is the first of its kind to document key data points on the costs and benefits of wage digitization from a factory perspective.

Why Women Workers and Managers Prefer Electronic Wage Payments in Bangladesh

Payday can be an ordeal for women garment workers in Bangladesh. Often, they must wait in long lines, carry wads of cash through crowded streets, or encounter a mother-in-law demanding money…

Microfinance and Poverty Reduction: Is Social Protection the Missing Link?

The paper highlights that existing literature largely overlooks recent developments in the arena of social protection that are impacting financial needs of the poor and discusses some empirical findings from three Indian states.

Country Diagnostic: Bangladesh

This Diagnostic Report shows Bangladesh is making significant strides toward a digital economy, and outlines specific policy measures that can underpin further digitization of payments into the future.

New United Nations Report Reveals Bangladesh’s Progress on Digital Finance As Key Leaders Meet to Discuss Future Steps

In-depth analysis shows Bangladesh making impressive strides towards a digital economy, identifies solutions for further progress…

Can electronic tax invoicing improve tax compliance?

This paper defines Republic of Korea’s motivation for Electronic Tax Invoicing (ETI), the implementation process, the legal and regulatory regimes, lessons learned, and future challenges for tax policy makers and tax authorities in developing countries.