Publication: Islamic Republic of Pakistan : Diagnostic Review of Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy, Volume 2. Comparison with Good Practices
Loading...
Published
2014-03
ISSN
Date
2014-06-12
Author(s)
Editor(s)
Abstract
The diagnostic review for Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy (CPFL) provides a detailed assessment of the institutional, legal, and regulatory framework in four segments of the financial sector: banking, microfinance, securities, and insurance. The review took place in response to a request for World Bank technical assistance in the field of financial consumer protection made by Pakistan's Ministry of Finance (MoF), the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP). The review consists of two volumes. Volume one summarize the key findings and recommendations of the review and Volume two presents a detailed assessment of each financial segment compared against the good practices for financial consumer protection. The key findings and recommendations in volume one cover five areas: (i) the institutional, legal, and regulatory framework for consumer protection; (ii) disclosure; (iii) business practices; (iv) dispute resolution mechanisms; and (v) financial education. Priority recommendations are outlined in table one; a more detailed list of recommendations is included in annex one.
Link to Data Set
Citation
“World Bank. 2014. Islamic Republic of Pakistan : Diagnostic Review of Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy, Volume 2. Comparison with Good Practices. © http://hdl.handle.net/10986/18658 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”
Digital Object Identifier
Associated URLs
Associated content
Other publications in this report series
Journal
Journal Volume
Journal Issue
Collections
Related items
Showing items related by metadata.
Publication Paraguay Diagnostic Review of Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy : Volume 2. Comparison with Good Practices(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-01)This review of the Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy Framework (CPFL) in Paraguay was undertaken in response to a request for technical assistance in this area made by the Central Bank of Paraguay (BCP). The objectives were: (i) to assess the existing consumer protection and financial literacy framework by reviewing laws, regulations, and actual practices in Paraguay, and comparing it with international good practice; and (ii) to provide recommendations on ways to improve the level of financial consumer protection and financial literacy in the country. The Diagnostic Review provides a detailed assessment of the institutional, legal and regulatory framework for consumer protection in four segments of the financial sector: (i) banks and finance companies, (ii) financial cooperatives, (iii) insurance companies, and, - in reflection of the important role they play in Paraguay - (iv) non-bank agents and mobile payment providers. Its findings and recommendations cover six thematic areas: (i) Institutional Arrangements, (ii) Legal and Regulatory Framework, (iii) Transparency and Disclosure, (iv) Business Practices, (v) Complaints Handling and Dispute Resolution, and as a stand-alone section (vi) Financial Education.Publication Good Practices for Financial Consumer Protection(Washington, DC, 2012-06)Financial consumer protection sets clear rules of conduct for financial firms regarding their retail customers. It aims to ensure that consumers: 1) receive information to allow them to make informed decisions, 2) are not subject to unfair or deceptive practices, and 3) have access to recourse mechanisms to resolve disputes. Complementary financial literacy initiatives are aimed at giving consumers the knowledge and skills to understand the risks and rewards of using financial products and services-and their legal rights and obligations in using them. Clear rules of conduct for financial institutions, combined with programs of financial education for consumers, will increase consumer trust in financial markets and will support the development of these markets. International and regional non-government organizations are also playing an increasingly important role in financial consumer protection. The responsible finance forum lists financial consumer protection regulation and financial capability as two of the three pillars of the framework for responsible finance. This summary is not exhaustive but helps illustrate the many ongoing international initiatives that support financial consumer protection. All the initiatives are helpful in strengthening the global response to weaknesses in financial consumer protection. Nevertheless, still more could be done by civil society organizations, particularly those operating at a global level. The World Bank is also supporting the international dialogue on financial consumer protection through development of good practices based on country-level experience and ongoing technical assistance. The good practices provide a comprehensive diagnostic tool to help identify the consumer protection issues in all parts of the financial sector.Publication Financial Access 2009 : Measuring Access to Financial Services around the World(Consultative Group to Assist the Poor/The World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-09)Financial Access 2009 introduces the latest data from a survey of financial regulators in 139 countries. It presents indicators of access to savings, credit, and payment services in banks, and in regulated nonbank financial institutions. It is intended for a broad audience of policymakers, researchers, practitioners, multilateral and bilateral investors, in order to guide monetary policy, monitor systemic risks, and collect information on the values of deposits and credit. This report reviews three interventions: disclosure requirements, interest rate caps, and methods to address excessive lending that can result in consumer indebtedness. Improved transparency and disclosure allow borrowers to make informed choices and can facilitate competition in financial markets, eventually leading to lower prices and improved products. Policies to restrict interest rates or credit quantity, especially in consumer credit, seem to have limited effect but require further analysis.Publication Bosnia and Herzegovina(World Bank Group, Washington, DC, 2015-06)This Technical Note was prepared in the context of a joint World Bank-IMF Financial Sector Assessment Program mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina during October-November 2014. Financial inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina performs relatively well compared to peers, but gaps remain for selected market segments. Financial sector development and access to finance for firms is constrained by weak domestic demand, high collateral requirements and inadequate credit enforcement mechanisms.Publication Mongolia Financial Sector Assessment(Washington, DC, 2012-06)Mongolia's economy has embarked on a very high, long-term growth trajectory. To realize fully its economic potential, Mongolia needs to build a diversified, efficient and stable financial system, capable of intermediating both on a large scale and in specific market segments. Access to financial services in Mongolia is relatively high when measured by the demographic penetration of branches. The aim of this technical note is to assess the level of access to finance in Mongolia, and especially for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), to identify key obstacles to improving access, and to provide recommendations to overcome these obstacles. The technical note is organized as follows. Section one provides a broad overview of the macroeconomic environment and is followed by section two on the status of access to finance in Mongolia. Section three discusses products and market segments. Section four examines the supply of financial services by analyzing the role of key market players. Section five examines the demand for financial services by drawing on enterprise surveys to assess firms perceptions of their access to finance, and analyzes financing conditions for MSMEs. Section six examines obstacles in the regulatory, supervisory framework, and financial infrastructure for access to finance. Section seven describes the main government programs related to access to finance. In conclusion, section eight provides policy recommendations for overcoming obstacles to enhancing access to finance.
Users also downloaded
Showing related downloaded files
Publication Direct and Indirect Impacts of Transport Mobility on Access to Jobs: Evidence from South Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-12)Access to jobs is essential for economic growth. In Africa, unemployment rates are notably high. This paper reexamines the relationship between transport mobility and labor market outcomes, with a particular focus on the direct and indirect effects of transport connectivity. As predicted by theory, wages are influenced by the level of commuting deterrence. Generally, higher earnings are associated with longer commute times and/or higher commuting costs. Local accessibility is also important, especially for individuals with time constraints. Both direct and indirect impacts are found to be significant in South Africa, where job accessibility has been challenging since the end of apartheid. For the direct impact, the wage elasticity associated with commuting costs is significant. Returns on commute are particularly high for women. Local accessibility to socioeconomic facilities, such as shops and health services, is also found to have a significant impact, consistent with the concept of mobility of care. To enhance employment, therefore, it is crucial to connect people not only to job locations but also to various socioeconomic points of interest, such as markets and hospitals, in an integrated manner. This integration will enable individuals to spend more time working and commuting longer distances.Publication Taxes, Spending, and Equity: International Patterns and Lessons for Developing Countries(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-17)Taxes and public spending underpin the basic administration of government and finance the human capital and infrastructure investments needed for economic growth. They can also have a significant and immediate impact on poverty and inequality. The question of how public finance can support longer-term growth objectives while promoting equity has become even more important in recent years, given the high fiscal deficits and debt levels most countries emerged with in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. These included the increasing cost of debt and the need to restart environmentally sustainable growth while helping households address the learning losses and other social scars caused by the pandemic. This paper examines the global evidence on which households pay which taxes and who benefits from what spending, and critically, the net effect on different households across the income distribution. The aim is to identify the patterns and lessons that emerge for designing progressive fiscal policies. A global dataset of 96 countries is assembled, spanning all regions of the world and all national income levels, grounded in the Commitment to Equity (CEQ) approach to fiscal incidence.Publication Kyrgyz Republic Country Climate and Development Report(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-03)This Country Climate and Development Report (CCDR) on the Kyrgyz Republic aims to support the country’s development goals amid a changing climate. The CCDR considers two policy scenarios up to 2050: the business-as-usual (BAU) and high-growth scenarios. As it quantifies the likely impacts of climate change on the Kyrgyz economy between now and 2050, the report highlights key government actions to best prepare for and adapt to climate impacts (referred to as “with adaptation” measures), with a particular focus on the time horizon up to 2030. The CCDR also outlines a path to net zero emissions by 2050 (referred to as “with mitigation” measures, “decarbonization,” or, simply, “net zero 2050”), highlighting associated development co-benefits.Publication Continental Drying: A Threat to Our Common Future(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2025-11-04)Grounded in new evidence from satellite data, “Continental Drying: A Threat to Our Common Future” presents the first global assessment of freshwater reserves over the past two decades. The findings expose an alarming trend of “continental drying,” a persistent long-term decline in freshwater availability across vast landmasses. Not only are droughts and deluges becoming more unpredictable, but the total amount of freshwater available for use has also significantly declined. Continental drying, driven by global warming, worsening droughts, and unsustainable water and land use, is a silent but accelerating crisis—largely unknown to the public—that reshapes the global water narrative. Continental drying raises profound risks. This report reveals new empirical evidence showing how freshwater depletion leads to major job losses, reduced incomes, wildfires, and biodiversity threats. In the long term, the combined effects of drying and warming could push societies toward a tipping point where damage accelerates rapidly and adaptation becomes increasingly difficult. Against the backdrop of continental drying, global water consumption rose by 25 percent between 2000 and 2019, with about a third of this increase occurring in regions already experiencing drying. Compounding the pressure, a substantial share of water use in drying regions remains inefficient. Continental Drying identifies hot spots where rising demand and declining supply converge and explores where and how water savings can be realized. This report recommends a three-pronged approach to address the crisis: managing demand, augmenting water supply, and improving water allocation. Five cross-cutting levers—strengthening institutions, reforming water tariffs and repurposing subsidies, adopting water accounting, leveraging data and technological innovations, and valuing water in trade—are essential for effective implementation and to attract private investment to finance the approach. Beyond water, addressing trade barriers, investing in education and skills development, and improving access to markets and financial services are critical for strengthening job and livelihood resilience amid a continental drying crisis.Publication Digital Africa(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2023-03-13)All African countries need better and more jobs for their growing populations. "Digital Africa: Technological Transformation for Jobs" shows that broader use of productivity-enhancing, digital technologies by enterprises and households is imperative to generate such jobs, including for lower-skilled people. At the same time, it can support not only countries’ short-term objective of postpandemic economic recovery but also their vision of economic transformation with more inclusive growth. These outcomes are not automatic, however. Mobile internet availability has increased throughout the continent in recent years, but Africa’s uptake gap is the highest in the world. Areas with at least 3G mobile internet service now cover 84 percent of Africa’s population, but only 22 percent uses such services. And the average African business lags in the use of smartphones and computers as well as more sophisticated digital technologies that catalyze further productivity gains. Two issues explain the usage gap: affordability of these new technologies and willingness to use them. For the 40 percent of Africans below the extreme poverty line, mobile data plans alone would cost one-third of their incomes—in addition to the price of access devices, apps, and electricity. Data plans for small- and medium-size businesses are also more expensive than in other regions. Moreover, shortcomings in the quality of internet services—and in the supply of attractive, skills-appropriate apps that promote entrepreneurship and raise earnings—dampen people’s willingness to use them. For those countries already using these technologies, the development payoffs are significant. New empirical studies for this report add to the rapidly growing evidence that mobile internet availability directly raises enterprise productivity, increases jobs, and reduces poverty throughout Africa. To realize these and other benefits more widely, Africa’s countries must implement complementary and mutually reinforcing policies to strengthen both consumers’ ability to pay and willingness to use digital technologies. These interventions must prioritize productive use to generate large numbers of inclusive jobs in a region poised to benefit from a massive, youthful workforce—one projected to become the world’s largest by the end of this century.