Better Than Cash Alliance

🤳 Digital #financialinclusion can accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (#SDGs) and support positive development outcomes, including greater resilience in the face of economic and #climateshocks. 🇺🇳 Foundational Building Blocks for Financial Inclusion: Insights and Call to Action to Reach the Last Mile policy note released by the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health focuses on those in the last mile who have yet to benefit from important gains in financial inclusion. 👩🏿🦰 It shows how the application of #technology in financial intermediation is advancing financial inclusion among those who remain excluded. It also shares lessons on how to address the access barriers these last-mile groups continue to face, making financial inclusion more impactful on broader development outcomes, like # women's economic empowerment, poverty reduction, access to quality health care and education, and affordable and clean energy.

🇬🇹 How can we accelerate and strengthen the competitiveness and efficiency of #Guatemala's #coffee value chain, increase the #financialinclusion of small-scale producers, and enhance their resilience to the impacts of #climatechange using responsible #digitalpayments? ☕ The Better Than Cash Alliance co-hosted an event with Guatemala's Coffee Asociation (Anacafé Guatemala) in their headquarters to share the findings of the study "Cost of Cash in the Coffee Sector Value Chain in Guatemala," which revealed that approximately USD 6.8 million are spent per harvest due to the reliance on cash. 🗣️ During the event, a co-creation session was also held to develop the design of a pilot, in collaboration with Anacafé Guatemala, to advance the adoption and usage of #responsibledigitalpayments. This pilot will involve small-scale producers, suppliers, and cooperatives, along with financial service providers and international development organizations. The session covered the discussion of the target population for the pilot, the tools to measure its impact, duration, necessary resources, and the next steps. ⏩ Many thanks to all participating in this project to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals #SDGs through digital financial inclusion! USAID Guatemala UNDP ONU Guatemala Tigo Guatemala Gisela Davico Beatriz Moreno Guatemalan Coffees Inter-American Development Bank CAF -banco de desarrollo de América Latina y el Caribe-

🇬🇹 El sector del #café es un pilar de la economía del #Guatemala, pero incurre en gastos de aproximadamente 6.8 millones de dólares o 54.829.580 quetzales(Q) por cosecha por la dependencia al dinero en efectivo. 🔎 Ese es uno de los hallazgos de la investigación “Costo del efectivo en la cadena de valor del sector del café en Guatemala”, liderada por la Better Than Cash Alliance en el marco de su colaboración con la Asociación Nacional del Café de Guatemala, Anacafé Guatemala. 📈 La #digitalización responsable de los pagos en el sector caficultor de Guatemala puede abrir nuevas áreas de oportunidad que fortalezcan la #competitividad y eficiencia de toda la cadena productiva. 🤳 En los próximos meses estaremos trabajando en conjunto con Anacafé Guatemala y personas pequeñas productoras, cooperativas, exportadoras, y comercializadoras de café en Guatemala para diseñar y ejecutar un piloto que escale el uso de #pagosdigitales en el sector caficultor y avance la #inclusiónfinanciera y resiliencia ante los choques del #cambioclimático en el país. Gisela Davico Camilo Téllez Beatriz Moreno Tigo Guatemala ONU Guatemala UNDP CATIE (Centro Agronómico Tropical de Investigación y Enseñanza)

🇬🇹 Los #pagosdigitales responsables en el sector caficultor de #Guatemala pueden abrir nuevas áreas de oportunidad que fortalezcan la competitividad y eficiencia de toda la cadena productiva. ☕ Gisela Davico, Líder Regional de América Latina y el Caribe y Líder Global de Género en la Better Than Cash Alliance, se reunió con Linon Saldarkhan, de UNDP Guatemala, para explorar oportunidades de sinergias entre las dos organizaciones para mejorar la eficiencia de la cadena de valor del #café y ayudar a los productores a enfrentar mejor los impactos del cambio climático mediante la #digitalización de los pagos. 👩🏾🌾 Actualmente el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD) funge como agencia implementadora del Proyecto Promoviendo Territorios Sostenibles y Resilientes en Paisajes de la Cadena Volcánica Central en Guatemala. Este proyecto impulsa acciones positivas para la conservación de la #biodiversidad y la gestión sostenible de la tierra para contribuir al bienestar de las poblaciones locales incluyendo el impulso a cadenas de valor de productos agrícolas como el café. ➡️ Más sobre el proyecto del #PNUD aquí: https://lnkd.in/e8Fxt556 Anacafé Guatemala

💡 Implementing a living wage is a global challenge, but digital wage payments offer a promising solution. ✨ Why digital payments matter ✨ 🔹 Transparency: Digital payments reduce errors and exploitation, ensuring workers receive their full wages. 🔹 Security: Enhanced traceability protects workers, especially women, from theft and exploitation. 🔹Financial Stability: Timely and accurate payments help workers manage household cash flow and reduce dependence on borrowing. 🔹Data Insights: Companies can analyze wage trends and disparities, supporting fair wage practices. We call on industry leaders to recognize the transformative potential of digital payments in promoting economic equity and ensuring fair wages. Read the full article by Jean Pascal MVONDO, Samer Bakeer, and Katherine Rickard 👉🏽 https://lnkd.in/eK_BrSDN Business Fights Poverty #DigitalWages #ResponsibleDigitalPayments

Exploring Interoperability at #GlobalFintechFest 2024! The Better Than Cash Alliance was featured in the September edition of Central Bank Payments News! Our article highlights key insights from the panel discussion on "Driving Growth through Interoperable Innovations in Cross-Border Payments" at the 2024 Global Fintech Festival in Mumbai. With over 70 countries implementing instant payment systems, the potential to revolutionize cross-border payments through enhanced interoperability is immense. Leaders from Buna (The Arab Regional Payments Clearing and Settlement Organization), Ecobank Ghana PLC, Banco Central do Brasil, Bank for International Settlements – BIS Innovation Hub, and more shared valuable perspectives on how public-private collaboration, innovative technologies, and inclusive infrastructures can broaden access to global markets—particularly for MSMEs, women-led businesses, and underserved communities. Thanks to Owureku Asare Mehdi Manaa Sonja Davidovic Harsha Bhowmik Camilo Téllez Prerna Saxena Samer Bakeer Abhishek Srivastava Read the full article here- https://lnkd.in/gK5CEeNH

What a great session at the #GlobalDPISummit in Cairo! We had an engaging and insightful discussion during our Focused Dialogue: Revolutionizing Healthcare with #DigitalPublicInfrastructure. The session brought together global perspectives on how #DPI is transforming healthcare access through digital identity, data security, interoperability, and responsible digital payments. It was inspiring to hear real-world examples from countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, India, and Zambia. Together, we're exploring how DPI can build more inclusive, sustainable healthcare systems for all. Oswell Kahonde Prerna Saxena Jean Pascal MVONDO Shruti Sharma Nalongo L. Nshuti Mbabazi Martin Volkmar IHM

📈 Hundreds of millions of individuals and SMEs have started using #digitalpayments over the past decade thanks to the mass uptake of bank accounts, debit and credit cards, and various payment systems created by telecom companies, fintechs, and, often more recently, Fast Payment Systems. According to early comparative data by Kati Suominen: ➡️ FPS Adoption: Fast Payment Systems have seen robust adoption in countries with preexisting digital payments use, with private sector-led models often being more successful than government-led ones. ➡️ Digital payments have grown significantly, especially in regions like Africa and East Asia, with mobile payments playing a crucial role. ➡️ FPSs have helped increase digital payments use and access to finance, but their impact varies across income segments, often benefiting wealthier users more. ➡️ Governments should promote user choice, integrate private sector solutions, and ensure strong data privacy and cybersecurity for FPSs to be effective.

🌍 Delegates from 100+ countries, global leaders, innovators, and changemakers came together at the #GlobalDPISummit to shape the future of #DigitalPublicInfrastructure (#DPI). the conversations were inspiring, from digital sovereignty to financial inclusion. it was a launchpad for bold ideas that will drive global digital transformation. Here are some key takeaways: 1️⃣ Balancing Privacy & Innovation: Experts delved into the trade-offs between privacy and innovation in DPI. Discussions centered on safeguards, privacy-by-design, regulatory frameworks, and cross-sector harmonization to ensure secure, scalable DPI solutions. Policymakers must balance innovation with data protection to build resilient, trusted digital ecosystems. 2️⃣ #AgriTech and #DigiAg for Food Security: Advancing DPI can unlock the potential of agricultural technology, improving yields and efficiency. But with value chains largely undigitized, DPI investments and governance are still in early stages. 3️⃣ Intra-African Trade: H.E. Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of AfCFTA, highlighted the importance of the Protocol on Digital Trade in boosting intra-African trade. Collaboration will be key to creating a digitally connected future across the continent. Better Than Cash Alliance is proud to collaborate with the African Union and AfCFTA in this journey. #DigitalTransformation #FinTech #DigiAg #AfCFTA #DPI #DigitalTransformation #responsibledigitalpayments UNDP Prerna Saxena Nalongo L. Nshuti Mbabazi Samer Bakeer Priya Vora Ahmed Dermish Andrea Milena Duarte Carreño

🏦“Las iniciativas de infraestructura pública digital #DPI son totalmente relevantes para lograr los objetivos de inclusión financiera”: Andrea Milena Duarte Carreño, Asesora Especializada en Pagos para el Banco de la República - Colombia. 🇨🇴 #Colombia necesitaba un sistema de pagos rápidos interoperable que permitiera a cualquier persona enviar dinero desde cualquier cuenta a cualquier cuenta, que funcionara 24/7. Eso será #BreB. 🤝🏽 Por ello, el Banco de la República - Colombia decidió desarrollar una infraestructura pública digital con el potencial de impactar a los segmentos más vulnerables de la población. La Better Than Cash Alliance ofreció asistencia técnica para a encontrar las mejores prácticas a nivel internacional con otros bancos centrales, y promoviendo intercambios entre pares que ayudaron a identificar los enfoques adecuados en el diseño del sistema. #DPISummit #PagosDigitales #InclusionFinanciera #OpenFinance #SPBVI