Primary Education Stipends in Bangladesh: Do Mothers Prefer Digital Payments over Cash?
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the digital transformation across the world. This post by CSIS explores the advantages and risks in the shift to digital payments, outlines principles for inclusive digital payments systems, and briefly summarizes the experiences of Kenya and Mexico.
Evolution, Not Revolution: The New BTCA Report Reflects Continuity and Change in Thinking on Digital Payments Ecosystems
The past few years have witnessed a dramatic increase in the use of digital payments worldwide. The percentage of global transactions conducted in cash fell from 89 percent in 2013 to 77 percent in 2019, and mobile wallets grew in popularity. The demands of social distancing brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have only reinforced those trends. It has been projected that half of all people will use mobile wallets...
The disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic complicated the delivery of social protection payments, while at the same time necessitating their use at unprecedented scale. Lowe, McCord, and Beazley analyze optimal approaches to distributing and expanding G2P transfers in 2020 by combining literature review with case studies of Nigeria, Peru, Sri Lanka, and Togo. Their findings highlight the importance of comprehensive ID systems, digital and financial inclusion, existing systems, and...
Payments are central to how governments transfer and receive financial resources; however, the way such payments are made is often not mainstreamed in public financial management (PFM) despite the fact that many of the direct benefits from effective digitalization of payments are identitical to those traditionally expected from strong PFM systems. The digitalization of payments does not provide a silver bullet for solving PFM problems; therefore it needs to be approached in an integrated way, with leadership from central agencies, including the Ministry of Finance, to exploit the synergies between the many different types of payments facilitated by digital technology.
The most valuable innovation is in G2P delivery systems that empower women to choose how to receive their cash.
Despite efforts from governments across the globe, the poor lack awareness of social protection and welfare delivery programs. This blog explores the intricacies of government communication using case studies. It also discusses mastering the elements of planning, research, content, and outreach channels to develop an ideal communication strategy.