Suchergebnisse

This paper discusses the status of financial inclusion, education, and literacy in Azerbaijan as well as measures to foster the development of SMEs, which currently have inadequate access to financial resources. The primary policy challenge faced by the government of Azerbaijan is defining its role in creating broader access to financial products and services. This paper highlights the challenges faced in overcoming the barriers to financial inclusion, and solutions found, and discusses the main lessons learned and a potential way forward. The first section of the paper provides detailed information on the national financial system. The second section covers the status of financial inclusion for individuals and SMEs. The third section analyzes different (supply and demand) aspects of barriers to financial inclusion, while the remaining sections present policies aimed at promoting financial regulation, literacy, and education. Finally, the paper presents key policy recommendations.

In this paper, we provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of financial inclusion and financial literacy in Georgia based on the latest literature, statistical evidence, and recent surveys. The paper reviews current government policy initiatives and strategy documents aimed at improving financial access of SMEs and households; analyzes the state of the regulatory framework in Georgia; focuses on the causes behind the current low levels of financial inclusion and financial literacy among the young, the poor, and the rural population; and provides policy recommendations to comprehensively address the financial inclusion problem in Georgia.

This paper discusses recent developments in financial inclusion and financial literacy in Kyrgyz Republic. While financial inclusion is considered one of the key drivers of today's development, it is quite new to Kyrgyz Republic. The first attempts to introduce the notion of financial inclusion arose after a violent power shift in 2010. The economy experienced an overall decline, the banking sector shrank, and financial intermediation slowed down. The National Bank introduced a number of regulatory measures to tighten the supervision of financial sector and increase consumer protection. Some of the efforts have worked well: the banking sector has rebounded, savings have been mobilized, and financial markets have started developing. However, national development patterns, such as unstable economic growth, a high poverty rate, and weak governance are the key vulnerabilities for increasing inclusivity of financial products and services. Income inequality, especially when comparing rural versus urban areas, is substantial and restricts access to financial services for the rural population. Small and medium-sized enterprises face barriers for getting sufficient financing because of high collateral requirements. The population has a low level of financial literacy and is reluctant to use modern financial services. Our analysis suggests that there is an urgent need for consolidated efforts to include more people and businesses into financial activities, mobilize their savings, and improve access to credit.