Tag Archives | financial services
Finance sector development, Social development and protection

Bringing financial services to the PRC’s poor will boost poverty reduction

By . Posted September 10, 2015
A woman in Guangdong with a wagon load of harvested crops
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has achieved remarkable economic growth, but there are a number of serious imbalances between coastal and inland regions, and between urban and rural areas. The government wants to help bridge this gap by developing inclusive finance tools.

Finance sector development

3 ways to serve Asia and the Pacific’s ‘unbanked’

By . Posted March 16, 2015
Analyzing microfinance loans is one way to collect “alternative data” on consumer debt levels and ability to repay. An ADB-supported microfinance institution in Uzbekistan. Photo by Eric Sales
Every time I stop and withdraw cash from an ATM or use my credit card to buy something online, I wonder how many people in Asia have access to such services. In fact, these simple transactions are beyond the reach of 45% of adults in East Asia and the Pacific alone. They are excluded from the formal financial system and will remain so until they open a bank account.