Identifying Constraints to Financial Inclusion and Their Impact on GDP and Inequality

Identifying Constraints to Financial Inclusion and Their Impact on GDP and Inequality
Author: Ms.Era Dabla-Norris
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 49
Release: 2015-01-27
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1498381596

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We develop a micro-founded general equilibrium model with heterogeneous agents to identify pertinent constraints to financial inclusion. We evaluate quantitatively the policy impacts of relaxing each of these constraints separately, and in combination, on GDP and inequality. We focus on three dimensions of financial inclusion: access (determined by the size of participation costs), depth (determined by the size of collateral constraints resulting from limited commitment), and intermediation efficiency (determined by the size of interest rate spreads and default possibilities due to costly monitoring). We take the model to a firm-level data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey for six countries at varying degrees of economic development—three low-income countries (Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique), and three emerging market countries (Malaysia, the Philippines, and Egypt). The results suggest that alleviating different financial frictions have a differential impact across countries, with country-specific characteristics playing a central role in determining the linkages and tradeoffs between inclusion, GDP, inequality, and the distribution of gains and losses.

Distinguishing Constraints on Financial Inclusion and Their Impact on GDP and Inequality

Distinguishing Constraints on Financial Inclusion and Their Impact on GDP and Inequality
Author: Era Dabla-Norris
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2017
Genre: Economic development
ISBN:

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Abstract: We develop a micro-founded general equilibrium model with heterogeneous agents to identify pertinent constraints to financial inclusion. We evaluate quantitatively the policy impacts of relaxing each of these constraints separately, and in combination, on GDP and inequality. We focus on three dimensions of financial inclusion: access (determined by the size of participation costs), depth (determined by the size of collateral constraints resulting from limited commitment), and intermediation efficiency (determined by the size of interest rate spreads and default possibilities due to costly monitoring). We take the model to firm-level data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey and World Development Indicators for six countries at varying degrees of economic development - three low income countries (Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique), and three emerging market countries (Malaysia, the Philippines, and Egypt). The results suggest that alleviating different financial frictions have a differential impact across countries, with country-specific characteristics playing a central role in determining the linkages and trade-offs among inclusion, GDP, inequality, and the distribution of gains and losses.

Distinguishing Constraints on Financial Inclusion and Their Impact on GDP, TFP, and the Distribution of Income

Distinguishing Constraints on Financial Inclusion and Their Impact on GDP, TFP, and the Distribution of Income
Author: Era Dabla-Norris
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015
Genre:
ISBN:

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A general equilibrium model featuring multiple realistic sources of financial frictions is developed to study how different constraints interact in equilibrium. We highlight, distinguish, and evaluate their differential impacts and rich interactions. The economic impact of financial inclusion policies in an economy depends not only on which constraint is alleviated, but also on the tightness of other constraints. Policy instruments should target the most binding constraint, which likely varies across countries. Moreover, there are important tradeoffs between financial inclusion, GDP, and the distribution of income. The transitional dynamics also differ from those in steady states. Policy makers should consider both.

Financial Inclusion, Growth and Inequality

Financial Inclusion, Growth and Inequality
Author: Ms.Izabela Karpowicz
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 31
Release: 2014-09-12
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1498344836

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Financial inclusion has been one of the key pillars of Colombia’s development strategy for a number of years. Financial inclusion policies have aimed at channeling microcredit to poor, spreading formal banking system usage, fostering electronic payment acceptance, and making financial services more affordable. Using simulations from a general equilibrium model it is possible to identify the most binding financial sector frictions that preclude financial inclusion of enterprises, and study the effects on growth and inequality of efforts to remove these frictions. The study finds that lowering contraints on collateral promises higher growth while inequality is better tackled through measures that lower the financial participation cost.

Identifying Constraints to Financial Inclusion and Their Impact on GDP and Inequality

Identifying Constraints to Financial Inclusion and Their Impact on GDP and Inequality
Author: Ms.Era Dabla-Norris
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 49
Release: 2015-01-27
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484352874

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We develop a micro-founded general equilibrium model with heterogeneous agents to identify pertinent constraints to financial inclusion. We evaluate quantitatively the policy impacts of relaxing each of these constraints separately, and in combination, on GDP and inequality. We focus on three dimensions of financial inclusion: access (determined by the size of participation costs), depth (determined by the size of collateral constraints resulting from limited commitment), and intermediation efficiency (determined by the size of interest rate spreads and default possibilities due to costly monitoring). We take the model to a firm-level data from the World Bank Enterprise Survey for six countries at varying degrees of economic development—three low-income countries (Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique), and three emerging market countries (Malaysia, the Philippines, and Egypt). The results suggest that alleviating different financial frictions have a differential impact across countries, with country-specific characteristics playing a central role in determining the linkages and tradeoffs between inclusion, GDP, inequality, and the distribution of gains and losses.

Inequality Overhang

Inequality Overhang
Author: Francesco Grigoli
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 27
Release: 2017-03-28
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1475589638

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The linearity of the relationship between income inequality and economic development has been long questioned. While theory provides arguments for which the shape of relationship may be positive for low levels of inequality and negative for high ones, most of the empirical literature assumes a linear specification finding conflicting results. Employing an innovative empirical approach robust to endogeneity, we find pervasive evidence of nonlinearities. In particular, similar to the debt overhang literature, we identify an inequality overhang level in that the slope of the relationship between income inequality and economic development switches from positive to negative at a net Gini of about 27 percent. We also find that in an environment characterized by widespread financial inclusion and high income concentration, rising income inequality has a larger negative impact on economic development because banks may curtail credit to customers at the lower end of the income distribution. On the positive side, a sufficiently high female labor participation can act as a shock absorber reducing such negative impact, possibly through a more efficient allocation of resources.

Inclusive Growth

Inclusive Growth
Author: Howard Thomas
Publisher: Emerald Group Publishing
Total Pages: 152
Release: 2019-04-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1789737818

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The book outlines a journey from enabling models of government and business to strategies for creating both financial and social inclusion and entrepreneurism as mechanisms for sustainable and inclusive growth.

Inequality in Financial Inclusion and Income Inequality

Inequality in Financial Inclusion and Income Inequality
Author: Goksu Aslan
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 32
Release: 2017-11-07
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1484328728

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We investigate the link between gender inequality in financial inclusion and income inequality, with three contributions to the recent literature. First, using a micro-dataset covering 146,000 individuals in over 140 countries, we construct novel, synthetic indices of the intensity of financial inclusion at the individual and country level. Second, we derive the distribution of individual financial access “scores” across countries to document a “Kuznets”-curve in financial inclusion. Third, cross-country regressions confirm that our measure of inequality in financial access is significantly related to income inequality, above and beyond other factors previously highlighted in the literature.

The Promise of Fintech

The Promise of Fintech
Author: Ms.Ratna Sahay
Publisher: International Monetary Fund
Total Pages: 83
Release: 2020-07-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1513512242

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Technology is changing the landscape of the financial sector, increasing access to financial services in profound ways. These changes have been in motion for several years, affecting nearly all countries in the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has created new opportunities for digital financial services to accelerate and enhance financial inclusion, amid social distancing and containment measures. At the same time, the risks emerging prior to COVID-19, as digital financial services developed, are becoming even more relevant.