Other Financial Accountability Study

148 items available

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http://hdl.handle.net/10986/2186

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A Toolkit for Corporate Workouts

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2022-01) World Bank

This Toolkit is aimed primarily at policy makers, financial institutions, and enterprises. It examines different types of corporate restructuring procedures on the basis that one size does not fit across all jurisdictions. Recent experience of the operation of corporate restructuring regimes around the world demonstrates that such regimes must appropriately account for domestic considerations, including a jurisdiction’s institutional and regulatory framework. This Toolkit, a revised and updated version of the 2016 publication, incorporates wide-ranging updates that reflects this experience. It describes matters relevant to the adoption of workout frameworks for a broad range of types of corporate restructuring procedures, some of which provide for a role for courts or regulatory authorities. This widened perspective highlights considerations of particular relevance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, a crisis that makes restructuring viable businesses especially important.
Supreme Audit Institutions’ Use of Information Technology Globally for More Efficient and Effective Audits

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-10-18) World Bank

Supreme audit institutions (SAIs) recognize the benefits of using technology to improve the quality and impact of their audits. This benefit has further intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic; SAIs with existing technology capacity have continued to perform their role effectively and efficiently. The paper explores how at a global level SAIs are using technology to perform more efficient and more effective audits. It provides a brief overview of how some SAIs are harnessing the possibilities created by advances in technology to develop new, innovative audit methods and procedures. It also seeks to identify the factors inhibiting other SAIs in particular SAIs in developing countries from implementing and using audit methods based on information technology (IT). Against this background, the paper suggests ways in which the World Bank, working with other stakeholders, can facilitate the more extensive and more effective use of IT-based tools and methods by SAIs. The impact of COVID-19 has introduced a new important consideration: namely, how IT has helped some SAIs respond with agility and resilience to the unprecedented and completely unforeseen circumstances created by the pandemic.
Supreme Audit Institutions Independence Index: 2021 Global Synthesis Report

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-07-20) World Bank

This report aims to inform and better equip World Bank task teams and development partners to support the strengthening of Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) in client countries. It also aims to help focus the ongoing collaboration between the International Organisation of Supreme Audit Institution (INTOSAI) and development agencies to address the intractable SAI independence issue. The report also responds to yearnings of several development partners to better understand the degree of SAI independence in countries and regions.
Lessons from Implementing a National Financial Inclusion Strategy

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-25) World Bank

A national financial-inclusion strategy (NFIS) helps policy makers, in coordination with a wide range of stakeholders, define objectives and outline a set of impactful, sequenced actions to accelerate progress toward achieving financial-inclusion goals. Achieving greater financial inclusion requires a deliberate, coordinated approach to identify barriers and opportunities, and a platform for diverse stakeholders to coordinate efforts to achieve shared financial-inclusion objectives. NFIS implementation typically involves operationalizing governance arrangements to oversee implementation, establishing a framework for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to capture progress regularly, implementing action plans to achieve financial-inclusion targets, and making necessary adjustments to address changing landscapes. In 2018, the World Bank Group (WBG) released a toolkit that provides financial-sector authorities and other stakeholders with practical guidance on developing and operationalizing an NFIS. After launching an NFIS, many factors influence and shape progress and success, and no two countries travel the same path during NFIS implementation. This note aims to build on existing NFIS knowledge by sharing insights that have helped improve implementation postlaunch. When used together with the WBG NFIS Toolkit, this note aims to support countries that are working to draft, launch, and implement an NFIS effectively.
South Africa Financial Ombud System Diagnostic

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-10) World Bank

The Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice of the World Bank Group (WBG) aims to help countries build financial systems that are deep, diversified, inclusive, efficient, and stable essential to promoting economic growth, reducing poverty, and increasing shared prosperity. One core activity is supporting national authorities to achieve their objectives for financial inclusion, by supporting policy, legal, regulatory, and supervisory reforms in areas such as financial consumer protection, including financial-sector alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Through the South Africa Financial Sector Development and Reform Program, the WBG is supporting the national reform process, which includes achieving an efficient and effective ADR system, so that financial customers can hold financial institutions to account if there is a dispute. This diagnostic review valuates the current financial-sector Ombud system in South Africa, Compares it against international good practice, and recommends reforms to provide good-quality outcomes and good value for money for the future.
Building a Financial Education Approach: A Starting Point for Financial Sector Authorities

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06-01) World Bank

While the importance of financial capability has been studied empirically, questions remain about program effectiveness, whether and how effectively these skills can be taught to consumers, and if financial education programs lead to sustained behavioral changes that improve one’s financial wellness and inclusion. When studied analytically, the results of financial education have been mixed. The objective of this report is to help guide financial sector authorities to build a more effective approach to financial education. The report synthesizes available resources and complements existing knowledge about financial education. It also explores the appropriate role for financial sector authorities within financial education and outlines a practical approach for financial sector authorities who choose to develop financial education agendas or strategies. Lastly, the report provides an overview of the best tools and practices to improve the effectiveness of financial education initiatives.
Developing Insurance Markets: Insurance Companies and Infrastructure Investments

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06) Shindo, Tetsutaro ; Stewart, Fiona

Higher insurance penetration and smaller infrastructure investment gaps has been correlated even after accounting for gross domestic product (GDP) levels, which indicates the insurance industry may have made some contributions to this development. Insurers have been promoting infrastructure investments as both asset owners and asset managers because this asset class makes sense from an asset liability management (ALM) viewpoint and they can leverage their asset management function. The stable and long-term cash flows of infrastructure assets naturally align with liabilities of insurers, particularly life insurers. Creating an ecosystem around infrastructure finance and different types of market players is of high importance. In a developing country where banks are already dominant in infrastructure financing and a risk-based framework for the banking sector constrains them from providing long-tenor financing, the roll-over model can work. Finally, governments and national supervisors can support infrastructure investments in several ways, including establishing a clear definition for infrastructure and compiling data, lowering capital charges on infrastructure investments (if their different treatment is evidence-based), facilitating credit enhancement mechanism and the increase of investible infrastructure projects, etc. In some cases, more clarity may be required on capital charges between infrastructure and securitized assets. Restrictions on direct investments to infrastructure can also be lifted under appropriate risk-based supervision in place unless being harmful to the interests of policyholders.
Developing Insurance Markets: The Insurance Sector’s Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06) Holliday, Susan ; Remizova, Inna ; Stewart, Fiona

Insurance can play a significant role in helping countries achieve the UN SDGs in terms of economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection. This can be achieved through the risk transfer mechanisms of households, businesses, and the public sector. The paper has a twofold purpose. First, to help regulators and insurance policymakers in emerging markets make the case for supporting insurance market development through drawing more attention to contribution the sector can make to achieving national SDGs. Secondly, to help investors, donors, international organizations focus their insurance market development efforts in countries where the sector has the maximum potential to contribute to the achievement of SDGs. This paper considers the role of insurance companies as underwriters facilitating risk transfer, as investors and asset managers and as corporate citizens and employers. The underwriting dimension is currently the most significant but all three have a role to play in supporting the SDGs. The paper also discusses how insurance can contribute more to these goals, including through targeted interventions in countries where conditions for right for insurance market development and SGD targets will need greater support to be met. Countries were screened for performance vs. the selected SDGs, by the potential for insurance sector development, as well as for minimum necessary enabling conditions for market growth. The paper concludes that the role of insurance has been somewhat overlooked in the context of the SDGs and that this is largely because the current indicators largely do not capture metrics relating to insurance. To be able to better assess the role of insurance and motivate the industry to contribute more to the SDGs, more consistent and disaggregated data collection on the following is recommended: lines of business; invested assets; gender disaggregated data. The UN, governments and the insurance industry are also encouraged to put greater emphasis on developing the sector as a means to achieving the SDGs.
Developing Insurance Markets: Motivations and Initiatives to Grow the Institutional Investment Role of Emerging Market Insurers

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-06) Thorburn, Craig

This paper develops a theme identified in recent insurance sector development work: that more developed insurance markets are desirable as insurers play a more effective institutional investment role, whether this objective seeks deeper and more liquid bond or capital markets, or to see more investment in long term assets such as infrastructure or in support of climate finance. It explores the perspective of domestic insurers, summarizing positions regarding asset selection and key drivers of current and desired asset structures. The paper draws on interviews in several deep-dive countries supplemented by additional engagement for a more representative global reach. It then discusses a range of solutions that may be considered by policymakers categorized under efforts to: grow the sector so it can play a more substantive role; improve how assets are packaged and made available to insurance companies so they are more investable; review risk-based capital rules to ensure that they encourage and reward the right behavior; and check other regulations do not present unintended barriers. The paper concludes that, although domestic insurers are interested in making investments that meet these goals, they are constrained by barriers that are almost entirely external to their own operations and outside their control. With some adjustment to supply and regulatory settings, insurers should translate their interest into action, increasing their role and improving the contribution to this desirable development outcome. The paper is intended to be particularly relevant for policymakers and practitioners with less experience within insurance company operations who are looking to better understand and respond to insurance decision making.
Consumer Risks in Fintech: New Manifestations of Consumer Risks and Emerging Regulatory Approaches

(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2021-04) World Bank

Fintech is increasingly recognized as a key enabler for financial sectors worldwide, enabling more efficient and competitive financial markets while expanding access to finance for traditionally underserved consumers. A critical challenge for policy makers is to harness the benefits and opportunities of fintech while managing its risks, including for consumers. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the widespread transition of consumers to fintech and digital financial services, highlighting their significant benefits while also demonstrating how risks to consumers can increase in times of crisis and economic stress. This paper (1) identifies a range of consumer risks posed by fintech, focusing on four key fintech products (digital microcredit, peer-to-peer lending, investment-based crowdfunding, and e-money) and (2) discusses consumer protection regulatory approaches emerging internationally for policy makers to consider when developing regulatory policy to target such risks. Examples of regulatory approaches are drawn from country examples and international literature. The paper also discusses a range of implementation considerations.