Financial Inclusion

Can Fintech in Bangladesh Catch Up with its South Asian Neighbours?

In recent years, Bangladesh has seen rapid growth in its fintech sector, fueled by the widespread adoption of mobile technology. This has enabled financial services to reach millions of previously unbanked citizens, leading to a remarkable rise in financial inclusion

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Why Rural Banks Are Essential to the Microfinance Ecosystem of Laos

Rural banks fulfil different roles in different countries, but across the board they help to promote financial inclusion efforts to move the local population – many who have never possessed a bank account – to participate in the regional economy.

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Is Islamic Fintech Catching On in Indonesia?

With a burgeoning population and a young, tech-savvy workforce, Indonesia is ripe for fintech growth. In recent years, the country has seen a boom in fintech startups, and the industry is now one of the most promising in the country.

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Mastercard to Expand Farm Pass Programme Across APAC

Mastercard announced today at the Singapore Fintech Festival that it would expand its Farm Pass digital platform across the Asia Pacific region. The expansion will build on the success of the Farm Pass platform in India, where it has helped

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Singaporeans Still Visit ATMs and Branches Despite Using Banking Apps, Survey Says

Many Singaporeans are still using ATMs and visiting bank branches even though close to nine in 10 Singaporeans (88 percent) use mobile banking at least a few times a month. An inaugural national survey on digital inclusion and resilience conducted

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Indonesia’s GajiGesa Rolls Out Its Earned Wage Access Services on WhatsApp

GajiGesa, an Indonesian Earned Wage Access (EWA) platform, has announced the launch of its services on WhatsApp to provide workers access to their earnings in real-time. Through GajiGesa’s platform, employers can allow their employees to access a portion of their

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ADVANCE.AI Ties up With Visa to Enhance Its Credit Decisioning Services

ADVANCE.AI, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence (AI) and big data company, is partnering with Visa to enhance its credit decisioning for the unbanked and underbanked segments across Southeast Asia. The strategic data partnership will see ADVANCE.AI integrate Visa’s Cardholder Transaction Score

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Bukalapak, StanChart Launch Their Digital Banking Service in Indonesia

Indonesian e-commerce platform Bukalapak and Standard Chartered announced that they have officially launched their digital banking service BukaTabungan. BukaTabungan is now available on Google Play Store and will soon be available on the App Store. The offering leverages the reach

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KASINKORNBANK Invests Bht 100 Billion to Drive Financial Inclusion in Thailand

KASINKORNBANK (KBank) announced a Bht 100 billion strategic programme aimed at boosting access to banking services among Thailand’s unbanked and underbanked population as well as Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the self-employed. The programme includes accelerated investments in

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Central Bank Digital Currencies Not a Silver Bullet for Financial Inclusion, BIS

While central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) have the potential to increase financial inclusion by lowering financial access barriers, they aren’t a silver bullet and must be part of a broader suite of tools and strategy that focuses on promoting universal

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