Mobile Money Embracing Payments as a Platform in Asia

After a decade of growth, mobile money continues to provide innovative services that are having a profound commercial and social impact in emerging markets. The Asian landscape however is evolving fast: increased competition and strong growth in smartphone penetration are propelling evolution towards a platform-based approach, connecting consumers with third-party services across diverse industries. This session will explore recent innovations and emerging trends from Asia. What are the key regulatory challenges in the region? and what are the enablers to accelerate growth?

Remittances: Harnessing the $1 Trillion Remittance Market to Accelerate Access to Inclusive Finance

It is estimated that the money international migrants send home annually exceeds US$1 trillion (including informal transfers) and is significantly higher than overseas development assistance and foreign direct investment received by nearly all developing countries. Previously ignored or misunderstood, nations are beginning to recognize the significant benefits that remittances can bring to their economies and how they can be a catalyst for greater financial inclusion.

The workshop will cover the following issues:

Regulatory Sandboxes: An Enabling Environment for Financial Services Innovation

A regulatory sandbox is a formal regulatory initiative to live-test new products, services, or business models on a time- and scope-limited basis. This helps to determine the appropriate regulatory treatment or status of innovative solutions to enable them to safely operate in the marketplace.

This session explores the following issues:

FINCA Bank Georgia

In July 2017, FINCA Bank conducted a pilot project that aimed to facilitate the use of tablet devices on the field for loan processing and requirements. This presentation discusses FINCA's experience in implementing the project and the lessons they learned.

Shigehiro Shinozaki

Shigehiro Shinozaki is a Senior Economist at the Economic Research and Regional Cooperation Department of the Asian Development Bank. He supports ADB’s developing member countries in improving small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) access to finance through various technical assistance projects. His advisory and research expertise includes policy issues in SME development, inclusive finance, and financial sector development especially in developing Asia.

Abdur Rouf Talukder

Mr. Abdur Rouf Talukder joined the Bangladesh Civil Service in February 1988 (BCS 1985 batch). He worked in a wide range of government positions in his long illustrious career but his specialization in public finance and economic management has brought him back to Finance Division at almost every rank of his career. He worked more than 18 years in Finance Division before elevating to the position of Finance Secretary on 17 July 2018.

Lotte Schou-Zibell

Lotte is the former ADB Chief of Finance Sector Group where she used to provide technical leadership on inclusive finance, finance sector development ,and infrastructure finance; and in developing sector policies, strategies, operational plans, and directional papers. She is leading innovative pilot projects using digital financial technologies. She is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Sustainable Infrastructure Foundation and also a member of the Women’s World Banking’s South East Asia Advisory Council.