Download or read book Bringing Finance to Pakistan s Poor written by Tatiana Nenova and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2009-11-13 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although access to financing in Pakistan is expanding quickly, it is two to four times lower than regional benchmarks. Half of Pakistani adults, mostly women, do not engage with the financial system at all, and only 14 percent have access to formal services. Credit for small- and medium-size enterprises is rationed by the financial system. The formal microfinance sector reaches less than 2 percent of the poor, as opposed to more than 25 percent in neighboring countries. Yet it is the micro- and small businesses, along with remittances, that help families escape the poverty trap and participate in the economy. 'Bringing Finance to Pakistan s Poor' is based on a pioneering and comprehensive survey and dataset that measures the access to financial products by Pakistani households. The survey included 10,305 households in all areas of the country, excluding the tribal regions. The accompanying CD contains summary statistics. The authors develop a picture of access to and usage of financial services across the country and across different population groups, and they identify policy and regulatory priorities. Reform measures in Pakistan have been timely, but alone are not enough; financial institutions have lagged behind in adopting technology, segmenting customer bases, diversifying products, and simplifying processes and procedures. Gender bias and low levels of financial literacy remain barriers, as is geographical remoteness. However, the single strongest cause of low financial access is lack of income not location, education, or even gender. 'Bringing Finance to Pakistan s Poor' will be of great interest to readers working in the areas of business and finance, economic policy, gender and rural development, and microfinance.

Download or read book The Future of Microfinance written by Ira W. Lieberman and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2020-06-30 with total page 493 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major source of financing for the poor and no longer a niche industry Over the past four decades, microfinance—the provision of loans, savings, and insurance to small businesses and entrepreneurs shut out of traditional capital markets—has grown from a niche service in Bangladesh and a few other countries to a significant global source of financing. Some 200 million people globally now receive support from microfinance institutions, with most of the recipients in the developing world. In the beginning, much of the microfinance industry was managed by non-governmental organizations, but today the majority of these institutions are commercial and regulated by governments, and they provide safe places for the poor to save, as well as offering much-needed capital and other financial services. Now out of infancy, the microfinance industry faces major challenges, including its ability to deal with mobile banking and other technology and concerns that some markets are now over-saturated with microfinance. How the industry deals with these and other challenges will determine whether it will continue to grow or will be subsumed within the larger global financial sector. This book is based on the results of a workshop at Lehigh University among thirty-four leaders in the industry. The editors, working with contributions from more than a dozen leading authorities in the field, tell the important story of how microfinance developed, how it has met the needs of hundreds of millions of people, and they address key questions about how it can continue to meet those needs in the future.

Download or read book Handbook of Research on Islamic Social Finance and Economic Recovery After a Global Health Crisis written by Kassim, Salina and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2021-04-30 with total page 410 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Social financial reporting as an economic tool presents the firm as a socio-economic unit with empowered social capital to enable a sustainable economic solution, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Islamic social finance (ISF) is a corporate social responsibility initiative in the form of humanitarian and socio-development programs by Islamic financial institutions and Shariah-compliant corporations. ISF is applied through various methods and tools that structure based on Islamic Sharia Law. For example, Islamic social finance tools would either be philanthropic, involving activities such as zakat (obligatory alms-giving), Sadaqah (voluntary alms-giving/charity), and waqf (endowment) or ta’awun (cooperation-based activities), which include Qardh al-hasan (benevolent loan) and kafala (guarantee). Thus, Islamic social finance instruments play a vital role in alleviating poverty and addressing socio-economic issues such as illiteracy, unemployment, malnutrition, and health issues. As such, integrated ISF reporting can empower sustainable economic development and lead to recovery. The Handbook of Research on Islamic Social Finance and Economic Recovery After a Global Health Crisis provides insights on the role of Islamic social finance in supporting and facilitating economic recovery in the post-COVID-19 era as well as reducing poverty and addressing the challenges of socio-economic problems such as education, unemployment, malnutrition, and health issues. This book is ideally intended for practitioners, stakeholders, researchers, academicians, and students who are interested in improving their understanding on the role of Islamic social finance theoretically and empirically in solving the issue of poverty and developing excellent funds management to achieve economic empowerment with better environmental sustainability.

Download or read book Finance for Food written by Doris Köhn and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-02-19 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reflects the current state of discussion about agricultural and rural finance in developing and transition countries. It provides insight into specific themes, such as commodity value chains, farm banking and risk management in agricultural banking, structured finance, crop insurance, mobile banking and how to increase effectiveness in rural finance. Case studies illustrate various aspects of agricultural and rural finance in developing economies. The book is based on one of the yearly financial Sector Development Symposia held by the KfW Development Bank.

Download or read book Banking Services for Everyone written by Thorsten Beck and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2006 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Using information from 193 banks in 58 countries, the authors develop and analyze indicators of physical access, affordability, and eligibility barriers to deposit, loan, and payment services. They find substantial cross-country variation in barriers to banking and show that in many countries these barriers can potentially exclude a significant share of the population from using banking services. Correlations with bank- and country-level variables show that bank size and the availability of physical infrastructure are the most robust predictors of barriers. Further, the authors find evidence that in more competitive, open, and transparent economies, and in countries with better contractual and informational frameworks, banks impose lower barriers. Finally, though foreign banks seem to charge higher fees than other banks, in foreign dominated banking systems fees are lower and it is easier to open bank accounts and to apply for loans. On the other hand, in systems that are predominantly government-owned, customers pay lower fees but also face greater restrictions in terms of where to apply for loans and how long it takes to have applications processed. These findings have important implications for policy reforms to broaden access.

Download or read book Economic Survey 2017 18 Volume I and Volume II written by Ministry of Finance, Government of India and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2018-03-31 with total page 845 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Economic Survey is the budget document of the Government of India. It presents the state of affairs of the Indian economy. Economic Survey 2017-18 consists of two volumes. Volume I provides an analytical overview of the performance of the Indian economy during the financial year 2017-18. It highlights the long-term challenges facing the economy. Volume II is a descriptive review of the major sectors of the economy. It emphasizes economic reforms of contemporary relevance like GST, the investment-saving slowdown, fiscal federalism and accountability, gender inequality, climate change and agriculture, science and technology, among others.

Download or read book Foreign Operations Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations for 2005 written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 1488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Finance Essentials written by Scott Moeller and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-04-26 with total page 639 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Collated by Scott Moeller of Cass Business School, this collection brings together the informative articles a budding finance practitioner needs to operate effectively in today's corporate environment. Bringing together core finance knowledge and cutting-edge research topics in an engaging and effective way, this text is the ideal companion for all practitioners and students of finance. You will find insights into the practical applications of theory in key areas such as balance sheets and cash flow, financial regulation and compliance, funding and investment, governance and ethics, mergers and acquisitions, and operations and performance. Contributors to this collection include some of the leading experts in their respective fields: Aswath Damodaran, Harold Bierman, Jr, Andreas Jobst, Frank J. Fabozzi, Ian Bremmer, Javier Estrada, Marc J. Epstein, Henrik Cronqvist, Daud Vicary Abdullah, Meziane Lasfer, Dean Karlan, Norman Marks, Seth Armitage, and many others. In this collection you will discover: * Over 80 best-practice articles, providing the best guidance on issues ranging from risk management and capital structure optimization through to market responses to M&A transactions and general corporate governance * Over 65 checklists forming step-by-step guides to essential tasks, from hedging interest rates to calculating your total economic capital * 55 carefully selected calculations and ratios to monitor firms' financial health * A fully featured business and finance dictionary with over 5,000 definitions

Download or read book Global Financial Development Report 2014 written by World Bank Group and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2013-11-07 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second issue in a new series, Global Financial Development Report 2014 takes a step back and re-examines financial inclusion from the perspective of new global datasets and new evidence. It builds on a critical mass of new research and operational work produced by World Bank Group staff as well as outside researchers and contributors.

Download or read book Powering the Digital Economy Opportunities and Risks of Artificial Intelligence in Finance written by El Bachir Boukherouaa and published by International Monetary Fund. This book was released on 2021-10-22 with total page 35 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper discusses the impact of the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the financial sector. It highlights the benefits these technologies bring in terms of financial deepening and efficiency, while raising concerns about its potential in widening the digital divide between advanced and developing economies. The paper advances the discussion on the impact of this technology by distilling and categorizing the unique risks that it could pose to the integrity and stability of the financial system, policy challenges, and potential regulatory approaches. The evolving nature of this technology and its application in finance means that the full extent of its strengths and weaknesses is yet to be fully understood. Given the risk of unexpected pitfalls, countries will need to strengthen prudential oversight.

Download or read book Microfinance and Poverty Alleviation written by Ben Quinones and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-02-04 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite the considerable economic growth of the Asia-Pacific, poverty continues to be a major problem. One key way to create sustainable livelihoods and to provide poor households an escape route from poverty is microfinance. Since the early 1980s, microfinance practitioners have proven that the poor are creditworthy, capable of utilizing scarce capital efficiently in viable incom-generating projects and able to pay back their loans. This book collects the experience of microfinance practitioners in 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific region to describe the present state of the art. It is designed to provide an overview of the subject: why it is so essential to poverty reduction; what is the best practice; what kind of policy framework and regulatory environment is required. It offers both an extensive survey of the academic literature and a selection of case studies, all from authors who have been active practitioners in microfinance for many years. The case studies cover four key countries in South Asia and three countries in East Asia in which microfinance had become particularly important. There is also a regional chapter covering the Pacific islands.

Download or read book The Routledge Companion to Literature and Economics written by Matt Seybold and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-09-17 with total page 948 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of literature and economics is by no means a new one, but since the financial crash of 2008, the field has grown considerably with a broad range of both fiction and criticism. The Routledge Companion to Literature and Economics is the first authoritative guide tying together the seemingly disparate areas of literature and economics. Drawing together 38 critics, the Companion offers both an introduction and a springboard to this sometimes complex but highly relevant field. With sections on "Critical traditions," "Histories," "Principles," and "Contemporary culture," the book looks at examples from Medieval and Renaissance literature through to poetry of the Great Depression and novels depicting the 2008 financial crisis. Covering topics from Austen to austerity, Marxism to modernism, the collated essays offer indispensable analysis of the relationship between literary studies and the economy. Representing a wide spectrum of approaches, this book introduces the basics of economics, while engaging with essential theory and debate. As the reality of economic hardship and disparity is widely acknowledged and spreads across disciplines, this Companion offers students and scholars a chance to enter this crucially important interdisciplinary area.

Download or read book Enhancing Financial Inclusion through Islamic Finance Volume I written by Abdelrahman Elzahi Saaid Ali and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-07-01 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book, the first of two volumes, highlights the concept of financial inclusion from the Islamic perspective. An important element of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), financial inclusion has been given significant prominence in reform and development agendas proposed by the United Nations and G-20. The significance of Islamic financial inclusion goes beyond improved access to finance to encompass enhanced access to savings and risk mitigation products, as well as social inclusion that allows individuals and companies to engage more actively in the real economy. It represents one of the important drivers of economic growth. Gender disparity exists within financial access and its extent varies widely across world economies. South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa have the largest gender gaps, with women in these regions being forty per cent less likely than men to have a formal account at a financial institution. Analysing how Islamic financial inclusion can empower individuals, this volume explores the contribution of Islamic microfinance in achieving SDGs and solving income and wealth inequality. Comprising a combination of empirical evidence, theory and modelling, this edited collection illustrates how to improve access to finance, making it essential reading for those researching both Islamic finance and development finance.

Download or read book Are Pakistan s Women Entrepreneurs Being Served by the Microfinance Sector written by Aban Haq and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2013-06-28 with total page 82 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fostering the entrepreneurship of women is important for Pakistan's economic growth and inclusion agenda, and access to financial services is an important component of starting and growing a business for women entrepreneurs. The original purpose of Are Pakistan's Women Entrepreneurs Being Served by the Microfinance Sector? was to determine whether women entrepreneurs have access to, and are using, microfinance loans as a source of finance for their businesses. However, the findings of the book go beyond the narrow objective of understanding whether microfinance providers are reaching Pakistan's businesswomen. As the research unfolded, the evidence suggested that not only are women entrepreneurs not being served, but also most of the loans for women clients are actually being used by a male family member-a brother, a son, a husband, a father. Actual numbers are hard to pin down, but an estimated 50 to 70 percent of the loans on the books for women clients are solely used by another household member, while the woman 'borrower' is responsible for attending all the group meetings, all repayments or delinquencies, and all the transactions costs. This book focuses on products, services, policies, and other elements of the business model of microfinance in Pakistan that affect both demand for and access to microfinance by women borrowers, some of whom fall into the narrower category of entrepreneurs. Financial services are important for women who are starting and growing a business, but in Pakistan microfinance providers are not reaching the country's businesswomen. Most loans made to women borrowers are passed on to male relatives, many loan products for women are not suitable for small businesses, and discriminatory practices are pervasive. The information presented in Are Pakistan's Women Entrepreneurs Being Served by the Microfinance Sector? will be useful to development practitioners, entrepreneurs, policy makers, businesswomen, and students of microfinance in Pakistan and around the world.

Download or read book Connecting the Disconnected written by Cecile T. Niang and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2013-03-12 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Connecting the Disconnected presents the findings of the field research designed to evaluate financial practices and strategies among urban and rural Bhutanese households. The study was commissioned in 2012 by the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan and the World Bank to provide qualitative evidence to the country's Financial Inclusion Policy. The book explores where, how, and why diff erent demographic groups save, borrow, send remittances, and insure themselves; it also evaluates the potential for innovations to extend fi nancial inclusion. Analysis of results from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews reveals three key patterns: Bhutan is a cash-based economy where households have a vibrant, if informal, savings and lending culture; rural areas are particularly underserved by formal fi nancial services; and women and youth represent an untapped market segment. The book reveals a demand for financial services with less complex and time-consuming banking procedures than are currently off ered-in particular, small, periodic savings and loan services; more accessible deposit and withdrawal services; and flexible loan requirements. In response to the demand for saving locally and in small amounts, group savings schemes and cooperatives are slowly emerging in Bhutan. These could serve rural communities until households become integrated into the formal financial system, though support and capacity building will be critical to ensure that savings are protected. Households struggle with banks' requirements and procedures and turn instead to informal lenders. Even households with some access to the formal fi nancial sector continue to use informal financing. The findings highlight a need for formal microfinance services providing small group and individual loans with flexible repayments. Savings strategies and attitudes suggest that Bhutanese households could benefit from fi nancial literacy education. More eff ective consumer protection is also needed. For instance, dispute resolution that is easily accessed would increase trust in the fi nancial sector. Also, the spread of mobile phone banking has been constrained by the limited mobile banking technology in use and low English-language literacy. However, the widespread use of mobile phones suggests that innovative technology could create new opportunities. Other innovative strategies worth considering include branchless banking to improve fi nancial access in remote areas. Finally, use of insurance services appears to be limited by a lack of knowledge. Remittances are used to send money both within Bhutan and abroad, but many rural communities lack access to formal remittance services and must rely instead on informal-and often expensive-options.

Download or read book Breakdown in Pakistan written by Masooda Bano and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2012-04-25 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thirty percent of foreign development aid is channeled through NGOs or community-based organizations to improve service delivery to the poor, build social capital, and establish democracy in developing nations. However, growing evidence suggests that aid often erodes, rather than promotes, cooperation within developing nations. This book presents a rare, micro level account of the complex decision-making processes that bring individuals together to form collective-action platforms. It then examines why aid often breaks down the very institutions for collective action that it aims to promote. Breakdown in Pakistan identifies concrete measures to check the erosion of cooperation in foreign aid scenarios. Pakistan is one of the largest recipients of international development aid, and therefore the empirical details presented are particularly relevant for policy. The book's argument is equally applicable to a number of other developing countries, and has important implications for recent discussions within the field of economics.

Download or read book The Role of Trade in Ending Poverty written by and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Role of Trade in Ending Poverty looks at the complex relationships between economic growth, poverty reduction and trade, and examines the challenges that poor people face in benefiting from trade opportunities. Written jointly by the World Bank Group and the WTO, the publication examines how trade could make a greater contribution to ending poverty by increasing efforts to lower trade costs, improve the enabling environment, implement trade policy in conjunction with other areas of policy, better manage risks faced by the poor, and improve data used for policy-making.