Rocha, Roberto R.Arvai, ZsofiaFarazi, Subika2012-03-192012-03-192011-09-21978-0-8213-8835-8https://hdl.handle.net/10986/2360This report contributes to the effort to improve Middle East and North Africa's (MENA's) growth and employment performance by providing a diagnostic of MENA's financial systems and proposing a roadmap for more diversified, competitive, and inclusive financial systems. The report recognizes the need to complement the financial development agenda by a financial stability agenda, to ensure that financial systems remain resilient as access is expanded and new risks emerge. The report starts by briefly reviewing the main causes of MENA's unsatisfactory growth and employment performance, identifying the region's broader growth agenda and the role of financial development in this agenda. It proceeds by reviewing the size and structure of MENA's financial systems, showing that most of these systems are excessively bank based and undiversified. The chapter provides a battery of access indicators showing that access outcomes have been very poor relative to those in other regions. It discusses the main causes of these poor outcomes and proposes a comprehensive agenda for financial development and financial stability. The report emphasizes the many common challenges faced by MENA countries, but it also recognizes the differences and tailors policy recommendations to the initial conditions in each of the main sub regions.CC BY 3.0 IGOACCOUNTINGACCOUNTING PRACTICESACCOUNTING STANDARDSADVANCED TECHNOLOGYATMATM CARDBANK BRANCHESBASICBUSINESS DEVELOPMENTCENTRAL BANKSCOMMERCIAL BANKSCOMMERCIALIZATIONCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIESCOMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGYCOMMUNITIESCOMPUTERIZATIONCREDIT CARDSCREDIT PRODUCTSDATABASE MANAGEMENTDEFICITSDEPOSIT MARKETDEPOSITORSDEPOSITSDIGITALDIGITAL DIVIDEE-GOVERNMENTE-LEARNINGE-MAILEGOVERNMENTFINANCIAL INSTITUTIONFINANCIAL INSTITUTIONSFINANCIAL PERFORMANCEFINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERSFINANCIAL SERVICESFINANCIAL TRANSACTIONSFIXED ASSETINCOMEINFORMATION SERVICESINSURANCEINTERNATIONAL MAILINTERNATIONAL REMITTANCEINTERNATIONAL REMITTANCESLATIN AMERICANLEARNINGLEGAL FRAMEWORKLETTER CARRIERSLIQUIDITYMAIL BUSINESSMAIL CARRIERMAIL CARRIERSMAIL FLOWMAIL FLOWSMAIL HANDLINGMAIL ITEMSMAIL PROCESSINGMAIL SERVICEMAIL SERVICESMAIL VOLUMEMAIL VOLUMESMANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMSMARKETINGMICROFINANCEMIDDLE EASTMIGRATIONMONEY TRANSFERMONEY TRANSFER PRODUCTSMONEY TRANSFER SERVICESMONEY TRANSFERSMONEY TRANSMISSIONNATIONAL POSTALNATIONAL POSTAL OPERATORNATIONAL POSTAL OPERATORSNEW TECHNOLOGIESNEW TECHNOLOGYNORTH AFRICANUMBER OF POST OFFICESOUTSOURCINGPACKAGESPARCELSPAYMENT SERVICESPAYMENT SYSTEMSPAYMENTS INSTRUMENTSPENSIONSPOSTPOST OFFICEPOST OFFICE SAVINGSPOST OFFICE SAVINGS BANKSPOST OFFICESPOSTALPOSTAL ADMINISTRATIONSPOSTAL AGENTSPOSTAL BANKPOSTAL BANKSPOSTAL CHECKINGPOSTAL COUNTERSPOSTAL EMPLOYEEPOSTAL FINANCIAL SERVICESPOSTAL INFRASTRUCTUREPOSTAL MAILPOSTAL MANAGEMENTPOSTAL MARKETPOSTAL MARKETSPOSTAL NETWORKPOSTAL NETWORKSPOSTAL OFFICESPOSTAL OPERATIONSPOSTAL OPERATORPOSTAL OPERATORSPOSTAL ORGANIZATIONSPOSTAL POLICYPOSTAL REFORMPOSTAL REVENUESPOSTAL SAVINGSPOSTAL SECTOR REFORMPOSTAL SERVICEPOSTAL SERVICESPOSTAL STAFFPOSTSPRIVATE OPERATORSPRIVATIZATIONPRODUCTIVITYPROFITABILITYPROGRAMSPUBLIC AGENCIESPUBLIC POSTAL SECTORPUBLIC SERVICESQUALITY OF SERVICEREMITTANCE SERVICESREMITTANCES FOR DEVELOPMENTREMITTANCES · PRODUCTREMOTE POST OFFICESRURAL POST OFFICESSAVINGS ACCOUNTSSAVINGS BANKSSAVINGS MOBILIZATIONSUBSIDIARIESTELECOMMUNICATIONTELECOMMUNICATION SERVICESTELECOMMUNICATIONSTRADITIONAL MAILTRANSPORTUNIVERSAL POSTALUNIVERSAL POSTAL UNIONUNIVERSAL SERVICEUNIVERSAL SERVICE OBLIGATIONUPUVOLUME OF MAILVOLUMES OF MAILWORLDWIDE POSTAL NETWORKWorld Bank10.1596/978-0-8213-8835-8