IMFBlog2020-07-02T15:52:39-04:00July 1, 2020|
By Ulric Eriksson von Allmen, Purva Khera, Sumiko Ogawa, and Ratna Sahay
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
The COVID-19 pandemic could be a game changer for digital financial services. Low-income households and small firms can benefit greatly from advances in mobile money, fintech services, and online banking. (more…)
IMFBlog2019-09-19T15:06:41-04:00September 19, 2019|
By Tobias Adrian and Tommaso Mancini-Griffoli
A battle is raging for your wallet. New entrants want to occupy the space once used by paper bills or your debit card. (more…)
IMFBlog2019-08-22T11:22:05-04:00August 22, 2019|
IMFBlog2019-02-14T11:59:32-05:00February 14, 2019|
If you are reading this blog—drawn by current buzz around financial technology and the “fintech” reference in the title, and its promise to democratize financial services—then it is probably a safe bet to assume that you have heard of M-Pesa. (more…)
IMFBlog2019-03-13T11:47:26-04:00November 28, 2018|
By Christine Lagarde and Jonathan D. Ostry
November 28, 2018
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
Raising women’s participation in the workforce can give a bigger boost to growth than previously thought (photo: Ahrens/Steinbach Projekte/fotogloria/Newscom)
Despite some progress, the gaps in labor force participation between men and women remain large. (more…)
IMFBlog2019-03-13T11:50:42-04:00November 19, 2018|
By Helge Berger and Margaux MacDonald
November 19, 2018
Growth is stronger in the G-20 but progress toward more balanced, sustainable, and inclusive growth is slow (photo: Egon Bömsch imageBROKER/Newscom)
This blog is dedicated to the memory of Giang Ho, an IMF economist who died suddenly this past August. Her efforts and ingenuity were critical to carrying out this analytical work. We miss her and will never forget her.
(more…)
IMFBlog2019-03-13T14:03:53-04:00September 25, 2018|
By IMFBlog
September 25, 2018
Young people on their phones in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia: about 70 percent of the country does not have internet access and can’t participate in the digital economy (Samrang Pring/Reuters/Newscom)
The countries of Southeast Asia are young—more than half of its 643 million people are under 30— and together they live in an economy of $2.8 trillion. (more…)
IMFBlog2019-03-13T14:25:03-04:00September 19, 2018|
By Martin Čihák and Ratna Sahay
September 19, 2018
عربي, 中文, Español, Français, 日本語, Português, Русский
A group of women attend an event in Sao Paolo to promote women’s participation in the financial sector: women account for 51% of borrowers in Brazil (Sebastio Mareira/Newscom)
Women are underrepresented at all levels of the global financial system, from depositors and borrowers to bank board members and regulators. (more…)
IMFBlog2019-03-13T14:26:34-04:00September 18, 2018|
By Sarwat Jahan, Elena Loukoianova, Cormac Sullivan and Yongzheng Yang
September 18, 2018
A customer pays at a supermarket using her smartphone in Bangkok, Thailand: urban and rural areas in the region widely use mobile payment platforms to access financial services (photo: Li Mangmang Xinhua News Agency/Newscom)
In Asia, the world’s fastest-growing region, expanding access to financial services for more people will mean higher growth, as well as lower poverty and inequality. (more…)
IMFBlog2019-03-15T09:34:57-04:00March 13, 2018|
March 13, 2018
Versions in عربي (Arabic), 中文 (Chinese), Français (French), baˈhasa indoneˈsia (Indonesian), 日本語 (Japanese), Português (Portuguese), Русский (Russian)
The same reason crypto-assets like Bitcoin are so appealing is also what makes them dangerous (iStock by GettyImages).
Whether Bitcoin’s value goes up or Bitcoin’s value goes down, people around the world are asking the same question: What exactly is the potential of crypto-assets?
The technology behind these assets—including blockchain—is an exciting advancement that could help revolutionize fields beyond finance. It could, for example, power financial inclusion by providing new, low-cost payment methods to those who lack bank accounts and in the process empower millions in low-income countries. (more…)
