scholarly journals IMPROVING FINANCIAL EDUCATION TO THE POOR AT THE BOTTOM-OF PYRAMID: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL FINANCE VIS A VIS FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 44
Author(s):  
Laily Dwi Arsyianti ◽  
Salina Kassim

This paper aims to explore the role of Islamic social finance and financial institutions in contributing towards improving financial inclusion through financial education among the poor. While there have been a lot of efforts undertaken by financial institutions, especially microfinance institutions, to achieve the financial inclusion agenda, the financial inclusion programs would normally require high operational costs which many financial institutions would consider them as not commercially viable. The costs thenare transferred back to the customers, resulting in the financing/ credit cost higher than commercial financial institutions. As a result, incidences of bankruptcyincrease when the cost of credit is higher. Thus, financial education is essential for average family in managing their day to day financial resources. While financial institutions keep busy with financial inclusion agenda and trying to find the best way without disturbing their core business agenda, Islam offers social finance institution (amil and nadzir) as the solution to this problem.

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-43
Author(s):  
George Okello Candiya Bongomin ◽  
John C. Munene ◽  
Joseph Mpeera Ntayi ◽  
Charles Akol Malinga

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to establish the mediating role of collective action in the relationship between financial intermediation and financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses structural equation modeling (SEM) through bootstrap approach constructed using analysis of moment structures to test for the mediating role of collective action in the relationship between financial intermediation and financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Besides, the paper adopts Baron and Kenny’s (1986) approach to establish whether conditions for mediation by collective action exist.FindingsThe results revealed that collective action significantly mediates the relationship between financial intermediation and financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. The findings further indicated that the mediated model had better model fit indices than the non-mediated model under SEM bootstrap. Furthermore, the results showed that both collective action and financial intermediation have significant and direct impacts on financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda. Therefore, the findings suggest that the presence of collective action boost financial intermediation for improved financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda.Research limitations/implicationsThe study used quantitative data collected through cross-sectional research design. Further studies through the use of interviews could be adopted in future. Methodologically, the study adopted use of SEM bootstrap approach to establish the mediating effect of collective action. However, it ignored the Sobel’s test and MedGraph methods. Future studies could adopt the use of alternative methods of Sobel’s test and MedGraph. Additionally, the study focused only on semi-formal financial institutions. Hence, further studies may consider the use of data collected from formal and informal institutions.Practical implicationsPolicy makers and managers of financial institutions should consider the role of collective action in promoting economic development, especially in developing countries. They should create structures and design financial services and products that promote collective action among the poor in rural Uganda.Originality/valueAlthough several scholars have articulated financial inclusion based on both the supply and demand side factors, this is the first study to test the mediating role of collective action in the relationship between financial intermediation and financial inclusion of the poor in rural Uganda using SEM bootstrap approach. Theoretically, the study combines the role of collective action with financial intermediation to promote financial inclusion. Financial intermediation theory ignores the role played by collective action in the intermediation process between the surplus and deficit units.


Author(s):  
Adhitya Ginanjar ◽  
Salina Kassim

Indonesia has a strong presence of microfinance sector with the number of Islamic Microfinance Institutions (IMFIs) estimated to be around 5,000 currently. Microfinance is an effective tool in alleviating poverty in Indonesia due to the limited access to financial services by the poor who accounted for approximately 96 million Indonesians (or 37% of the total population), living on less than USD 1.90 a day. In the absence of collateral and steady income, the poor are considered too risky to be given credit facilities by the formal financial services providers and living in remote areas has also limited their access to formal financial services. This study aims to examine the poverty alleviation efforts from the perspective of the IMFIs in view of their direct involvement in the process and having rich information about financial issues facing the borrowers. The managers also understand about financial inclusion agenda as well as financial guidelines and regulations issued by the relevant authorities. A total of 34 managers of Baitulmaal Wa Tamwil (BMTs), which registered under the Sharia Cooperative Centre (INKOPSYAH) are taken as respondents from the Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi (JABODETABEK) areas. The first instrument was a survey questionnaire, and the second one was an in-depth interview to outline data related to the model design. The findings of this research are expected to contribute to better decision-making for the BMTs to further enhance its role in alleviating poverty. The findings also elaborate several dimensions to improving financial inclusion among the poor including providing financial services, implementing Islamic principles, significant policies, community-based framework concept and training financial education. This research highlights the need for a variety of strategies to warrant success of poverty alleviation efforts by BMT.


Author(s):  
Kijpokin Kasemsap

This chapter explains the overview of microfinance; the efficiency of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and sustainability; microfinance and interest rates; microfinance and information technology (IT); microfinance, social capital, trust, and repayment rates; microfinance and health care; informal microfinance institutions (IMFIs) and tourism entrepreneurship; and the importance of microfinance in emerging nations. Financial services provide a method for people and businesses to obtain credit and manage available assets on a continuous basis. Microfinance has a significant role in bridging the gap between formal financial institutions and rural poor households. MFIs can access financial resources from banks and other financial institutions and provide financial services to poor households. The chapter argues that promoting microfinance has the potential to enhance financial performance and reach economic goals in emerging nations.


Author(s):  
Madhuri Malhotra

The purpose of this chapter is to critically evaluate the status of microfinance in India, the types, characteristics, and modes of operation of MFIs. It also highlights the main differences between commercial baking and microfinance institutions and examines the extent to which banks fulfill financial requirements and of whom? This chapter presents a linkage among microfinance institutions, financial inclusion, and economic development on a country. The study reveals that MFIs contribute in the upliftment of the society leading to economic benefit to the country as a whole. It makes the reader realize the importance of microfinance in the economic development of a country which cannot be realized just by uplifting the structured and most sophisticated banking sector. Handholding of the poor and rural population is required in order to accelerate the process of financial inclusion and thereby reaching the goal of economic development.


Author(s):  
Madhuri Malhotra

The purpose of this chapter is to critically evaluate the status of microfinance in India, the types, characteristics, and modes of operation of MFIs. It also highlights the main differences between commercial baking and microfinance institutions and examines the extent to which banks fulfill financial requirements and of whom? This chapter presents a linkage among microfinance institutions, financial inclusion, and economic development on a country. The study reveals that MFIs contribute in the upliftment of the society leading to economic benefit to the country as a whole. It makes the reader realize the importance of microfinance in the economic development of a country which cannot be realized just by uplifting the structured and most sophisticated banking sector. Handholding of the poor and rural population is required in order to accelerate the process of financial inclusion and thereby reaching the goal of economic development.


Author(s):  
Kijpokin Kasemsap

This chapter explains the overview of microfinance; the efficiency of microfinance institutions (MFIs) and sustainability; microfinance and interest rates; microfinance and information technology (IT); microfinance, social capital, trust, and repayment rates; microfinance and health care; informal microfinance institutions (IMFIs) and tourism entrepreneurship; and the importance of microfinance in emerging nations. Financial services provide a method for people and businesses to obtain credit and manage available assets on a continuous basis. Microfinance has a significant role in bridging the gap between formal financial institutions and rural poor households. MFIs can access financial resources from banks and other financial institutions and provide financial services to poor households. The chapter argues that promoting microfinance has the potential to enhance financial performance and reach economic goals in emerging nations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deogratius Joseph Mhella

Prior to the advent of mobile money, the banking sector in most of the developing countries excluded certain segments of the population. The excluded populations were deemed as a risk to the banking sector. The banking sector did not work with cash stripped and the financially disenfranchised people. Financial exclusion persisted to incredibly higher levels. Those excluded did not have: bank accounts, savings in financial institutions, access to credit, loan and insurance services. The advent of mobile money moderated the very factors of financial exclusion that the banks failed to resolve. This paper explains how mobile money moderates the factors of financial exclusion that the banks and microfinance institutions have always failed to moderate. The paper seeks to answer the following research question: 'How has mobile money moderated the factors of financial exclusion that other financial institutions failed to resolve between 1960 and 2008? Tanzania has been chosen as a case study to show how mobile has succeeded in moderating financial exclusion in the period after 2008.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
Tea Kasradze

Financial inclusion is often considered as an access to financial resources for the wide public and small and medium-sized businesses, although it is a much broader concept and includes a wide range of access to quality financial products and services, including loans, deposit services, insurance, pensions and payment systems. Mechanisms for protecting the rights of consumers of financial products and services are also considered to be subject to financial inclusion. Financial inclusion acquires great importance during the pandemic and post-pandemic period. The economic crisis caused by the pandemic is particularly painful for low-income vulnerable population. A large part of the poor population who were working informally has lost source of income due to lockdown from the pandemic. Remittances have also been reduced / minimized, as the remitters had also lost jobs and are unable to send money home. Today, when people die from Coronavirus disease, it may be awkward to talk about the financial side of a pandemic, but the financial consequences can be far-reaching if steps are not taken today to ensure access to and inclusion of financial resources. The paper examines the impact of the pandemic on financial inclusion and the responses of the governments and the financial sectors to the challenge of ensuring the financial inclusion of the poor population and small and medium enterprises.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 168-182
Author(s):  
David Mhlanga ◽  
◽  
Steven Henry Dunga ◽  
Tankiso Moloi ◽  
◽  
...  

The study sought to investigate the impact of financial inclusion on poverty reduction in Zimbabwe among the smallholder farmers. It is alleged that financial inclusion can help in achieving seven of the seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs), which include poverty eradication in all its forms everywhere, ending hunger, achieving food security, ensuring improved nutrition as well as promoting sustainable agriculture and many others. Using the simple regression method, the study discovered that financial inclusion has a strong impact on poverty reduction among smallholder farmers. The study went on to discover that, for the government to tackle poverty especially among the smallholder farmers, it is important to ensure that farmers do participate in the financial sector through saving, borrowing and taking out insurance among other services. So, it is important for the government of Zimbabwe to fully implement policies that encourage financial inclusion such as making sure that farmers find it easy to access financial institutions and encouraging financial institutions to review transaction costs like bank account opening charges periodically, implementing financial education programs among the farmers because these variables are important in influencing farmers to participate or preventing them from using financial services.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-34
Author(s):  
Samuel Nii Attoh Abbey

With the flagship success of M-Pesa, mobile devices have become an important tool to facilitate the financial inclusion of the previously unbanked population in developing countries. Following the success of M-Pesa in Kenya in 2007, mobile money technologies became widespread across Africa. Beginning in 2009, Ghana experienced exceptional adoption of Mobile Money technology. Many studies have examined the influence of mobile money on financial inclusion from a variety of perspectives, and many have concluded that mobile money is a game-changer in this regard. The Mobile Money concept has evolved based on introducing the other value-added services such as microloans, savings, and insurance portfolios. The researcher used a questionnaire and a face-to-face interview to obtain qualitative data for this study. Together with other research, the statistics revealed that Mobile Money transactions in Ghana had more than tripled since it became the most popular payment method. Over the last year, the platform as a service has created over 140,000 jobs and has shown to be the safest channel. It has several advantages, including lowering the cost of printing and keeping cash on hand, as well as decreasing fraud because the technology underlying it gives appropriate audit trails to prevent fraud and boost economic growth.


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