Other Financial Accountability Study
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Publication
Enhancing Financial Capability and Inclusion in Zambia: A Demand-Side Assessment
(World Bank, Zambia, 2017-11)Financial inclusion in Zambia has nearly doubled in the last ten years - from 21.3 percent in 2005 to 40.2 percent in 2016. This success was made possible by Zambia’s Financial Sector Development Plan that concluded in 2015. And yet, when compared to other lower-middle income countries, Zambia fares less favorably in terms of account ownership, accessibility of bank branches, and usage of financial services. Main cited barriers are lack of funds, high fees, time-consuming travel, and lack of trust in the financial sector. Zambia aims to achieve universal access and has committed to implementing comprehensive national strategies for financial inclusion and financial education to accelerate progress. The World Bank survey covered in this report was requested by Zambian authorities to inform their further strategy work, help formulate quantifiable and concrete targets, and assess the effectiveness of future financial capability enhancing programs. The key findings and recommendations of the report cover areas related to Financial Inclusion, Financial Capability, and Financial Consumer Protection, followed by four chapters. Chapter 1 explores the financial inclusion landscape in Zambia. Chapter 2 reviews financial capability of Zambians in terms of their financial knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. Chapter 3 analyzes the link between financial inclusion and financial capability in Zambia, and Chapter 4 assesses whether the financial products in Zambia meet consumers’ needs. -
Publication
Federal Republic of Nigeria Diagnostic Review of Financial Consumer Protection: Key Findings and Recommendations
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-06)While only 44 percent of adults in Nigeria have an account at a formal financial institution, and only 2.5 percent have a mobile account, there are rapid innovations in both traditional and digital financial services that promote financial inclusion but also add complexity and risks for inexperienced consumers. Strengthening financial consumer protection (FCP) in Nigeria is therefore critical to ensure responsible and sustainable financial inclusion. This Diagnostic Review was conducted under the joint World Bank and IMF program to strengthen Nigeria's financial sector. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has already established a dedicated Consumer Protection Department and developed a high-level FCP Framework, however there are many areas for improvement. The Review analyzes the FCP regime in Nigeria's banking, non-bank financial institution (NBFI) and payment sectors, and offers tailored recommendations. Based on the 2017 World Bank Good Practices for Financial Consumer Protection, this assessment covers five topics in each of the abovementioned sectors: i) legal, regulatory, and supervisory framework; ii) disclosure and sales practices; iii) fair treatment and business conduct; iv) data privacy; and v) dispute resolution mechanisms. The Review summarizes the key findings and recommendations and then discusses them in detail. -
Publication
Inclusive and Effective Citizen Engagement: Participatory Budgeting--Makueni and West Pokot Counties
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-05-01)The introduction of citizen engagement into law is an idea that is gaining popularity around the world. New provisions in Kenya’s Constitution enshrine openness, accountability, and public participation as guiding principles for public financial management. Yet, translating participation laws into meaningful action on the ground is no simple task. With support from the Kenya participatory budgeting initiative (KPBI), and the commitment from West Pokot and Makueni County leaders, PB is being tested as a way to achieve more inclusive and effective citizen engagement processes while complying with national legal provisions. This report describes the PB approach being adopted by Makueni and West Pokot counties. It seeks to provide detailed information on the step by step process that the two Counties have adopted and describes the support provided by the KPBI. At the national level, the report is mostly targeted towards PB practitioners and county officials interested in introducing PB as part of their budgeting cycle. The report seeks also to inform a wider audience of PB and citizen engagement practitioners on the Kenyan experience to date. -
Publication
Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia Diagnostic Review of Financial Consumer Protection
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2017-04)The objective of the Diagnostic Review of Financial Consumer Protection in Ethiopia is to assess the legal, regulatory, and institutional framework for financial consumer protection (FCP) and develop prioritized and tailored recommendations aimed at supporting the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) in developing and operationalizing improvements to that framework. The assessment is conducted under the Ethiopia Financial Inclusion Support Framework (FISF) Program, and based on the revised and enhanced 2017 Edition of the World Bank Good Practices for Financial Consumer Protection with focus on retail products and services in four sectors: i) banks and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs); ii) payments; and iii) insurance. Further, the review covers five topics in each of the above-mentioned sectors: i) legal, regulatory, and supervisory framework; ii) disclosure and sales practices; iii) fair treatment and business conduct; iv) data privacy; and v) dispute resolution mechanisms. The report reflects the existing legal, regulatory, and institutional framework in Ethiopia, with references to planned reforms that were presented to or discussed with the World Bank team. It also features industry practices identified through interviews with financial services providers, financial regulators, and consumer and industry associations. -
Publication
Republic of Ghana Diagnostic Review of Financial Consumer Protection
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2016-06)This diagnostic review was conducted with a purpose to inform future reform of the FCP framework in Ghana, and is based on the revised and enhanced World Bank Good Practices for Financial Consumer Protection (forthcoming). The content of this report is based on a review of the legal and regulatory framework, as well as in anecdotal evidence of current FCP issues and practices gathered through interviews with financial services providers, regulators, specialists, and through a review of available documents on this topic. The assessment focuses on retail products and services in four sectors: i) banks and NBFIs; given the large number of diverse institutions in the non-bank sector the references to NBFI sector in this report are primarily based on information gathered from rural and community banks, microfinance companies, savings and loans, credit unions, and leasing companies; ii) payments; and iii) insurance. Further, it covers five topics in each of the above-mentioned sectors, namely: i) legal, regulatory, and supervisory framework; ii) disclosure and sales practices; iii) fair treatment and business conduct; iv) data privacy; and v) dispute resolution mechanisms. While some sector-specific sections addressed issues related to data privacy, this topic was primarily addressed as cross-sectoral issue, discussed in section 2 below. Each of the sections contains recommendations for reform measures in Ghana, with indication of their priority. Significant emphasis has been put on building supervisory capacity for FCP, given its importance for effective implementation of the few existing regulations and additional regulatory reforms proposed in this report. -
Publication
Zimbabwe Diagnostic Review of Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy: Volume 2. Comparison with Good Practices
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-07)In the last decade, Zimbabwe’s financial sector survived the periods of hyperinflation and the collapse of the national currency that led to the adoption of a multi-currency system in early 2009. Consequently, financial sector activity in Zimbabwe has shrunk by more than 50 percent in many segments. In 2015, the financial sector is dominated by the banking segment that is generally stable but faces major systemic challenges: low liquidity, low capitalization, high cost of funds with low domestic savings and expensive external borrowing. High credit risks increase the reluctance to lend. At the same time, the technology-driven segments are growing rapidly but regulatory gaps pose significant systemic and entity-level risks. In such circumstances, the Zimbabwe authorities recognize the urgency of establishing a sound financial consumer protection regime and promoting financial literacy. This World Bank’s diagnostic review was requested by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe with support of the national government and regulatory bodies. It provides analysis of the legal and regulatory framework in the banking, digital financial services, non-bank credit institutions, insurance, securities, private pensions, and credit reporting segments. Four consumer focus groups were also conducted on financial capability issues. Volume I of the Review summarizes the key findings and recommendations, and Volume II provides comparison with the Good Practices for Financial Consumer Protection. -
Publication
Zimbabwe Diagnostic Review of Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy: Volume 1. Key Findings and Recommendations
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2015-07)In the last decade, Zimbabwe’s financial sector survived the periods of hyperinflation and the collapse of the national currency that led to the adoption of a multi-currency system in early 2009. Consequently, financial sector activity in Zimbabwe has shrunk by more than 50 percent in many segments. In 2015, the financial sector is dominated by the banking segment that is generally stable but faces major systemic challenges: low liquidity, low capitalization, high cost of funds with low domestic savings and expensive external borrowing. High credit risks increase the reluctance to lend. At the same time, the technology-driven segments are growing rapidly but regulatory gaps pose significant systemic and entity-level risks. In such circumstances, the Zimbabwe authorities recognize the urgency of establishing a sound financial consumer protection regime and promoting financial literacy. This World Bank’s diagnostic review was requested by the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe with support of the national government and regulatory bodies. It provides analysis of the legal and regulatory framework in the banking, digital financial services, non-bank credit institutions, insurance, securities, private pensions, and credit reporting segments. Four consumer focus groups were also conducted on financial capability issues. Volume I of the Review summarizes the key findings and recommendations, and Volume II provides comparison with the Good Practices for Financial Consumer Protection. -
Publication
Tanzania Diagnostic Review of Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy: Volume 2. Comparison with Good Practices
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-11)In 2011, only 17.3 percemt of adults in Tanzania had an account at a formal financial institution and 56 percemt did not have any access to financial services. Most of the population lives in rural areas with very low incomes and poor infrastructure, and women are especially disadvantaged. Such limited access to formal financial services also inhibits financial literacy – awareness of benefits and risks, and how to take advantage of opportunities. Despite significant challenges, all institutional elements of the formal financial sector in Tanzania are in place, helping its gradual expansion, and in some segments technology is driving rapid growth – particularly in mobile and electronic payments. Still, gaps and weaknesses in financial consumer protection and financial education remain some of the main obstacles to sustainability and greater trust in the financial sector. This Diagnostic Review was requested by the Ministry of Finance of Tanzania in November 2012. It provides a detailed assessment of Tanzania’s institutional, legal and regulatory framework against the World Bank’s Good Practices for Financial Consumer Protection. Three segments of the financial sector have been analyzed: banking, microfinance, and pensions. Insurance and securities segments will be considered at a later stage. Volume I of the Review summarizes the key findings and recommendations and Volume II presents a detailed assessment of each financial segment compared to the Good Practices. -
Publication
Tanzania Diagnostic Review of Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy: Volume 1. Key Findings and Recommendations
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2013-11)In 2011, only 17.3 percemt of adults in Tanzania had an account at a formal financial institution and 56 percemt did not have any access to financial services. Most of the population lives in rural areas with very low incomes and poor infrastructure, and women are especially disadvantaged. Such limited access to formal financial services also inhibits financial literacy – awareness of benefits and risks, and how to take advantage of opportunities. Despite significant challenges, all institutional elements of the formal financial sector in Tanzania are in place, helping its gradual expansion, and in some segments technology is driving rapid growth – particularly in mobile and electronic payments. Still, gaps and weaknesses in financial consumer protection and financial education remain some of the main obstacles to sustainability and greater trust in the financial sector. This Diagnostic Review was requested by the Ministry of Finance of Tanzania in November 2012. It provides a detailed assessment of Tanzania’s institutional, legal and regulatory framework against the World Bank’s Good Practices for Financial Consumer Protection. Three segments of the financial sector have been analyzed: banking, microfinance, and pensions. Insurance and securities segments will be considered at a later stage. Volume I of the Review summarizes the key findings and recommendations and Volume II presents a detailed assessment of each financial segment compared to the Good Practices.