Roundtable on National Financial Inclusion Strategy for

Summary of emerging themes: Consultation kick-off meeting

October 3, 2017 Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon, Bangladesh Welcome 2017 Nos. of bank Historical perspectives savings account: 65 million Nos. of registered MFS clients: 54 million Nos. of MFI Clients : 35 million 1991 2015 Bank Company Act (amendment 2013) Bangladesh Electronic Fund Transfer Network (BEFTN) 1990 2015 Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) Bangladesh Post Office electronic money transfer Service

1986 Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank 2015 Financial Inclusion Department

1983 2007 2015 Grameen Bank SME Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) Foundation

1982 2013 License of Private Commercial banks Guideline for Agent Banking for Banks 2006 Microcredit 2011 Regulatory Guidelines on Mobile Financial Service Regulation issued by 1973 Authority Act Bangladesh Krishi Bank 2010 2002 Establishment SME & Special Programmes department of Bangladesh Bank and SME Credit Agricultural 1972 policies Credit Bangladesh Bank Department established 2010 Insurance Development and Regulatory Authority (IDRA) 1993 Financial Institution Act Enabling economic environment

Poverty Rapid Rapid Widespread Opportunities to falling but Urbanization Industrialization access and use of reap the vulnerability technology demographic increasing dividend. 1 Formal kick-off of the wide stakeholder consultation. Why are we here? 2 Validation of: • Diagnostic insights • Strategic thrusts • Coordination arrangements for implementation Structure of the evening

1 Mandate and progress of National Financial Inclusion Strategy Mr. Arijit Chowdhury, Additional Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance

Synthesis of key findings and implications for strategic priorities of National Financial Inclusion 2 Strategy for Bangladesh Dr. Mustafa K. Mujeri, Team Leader for National Financial Inclusion Strategy Development.

Roundtable Discussion 3 Moderator: Mr. Md. Eunusur Rahman, Senior Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of Bangladesh.

Way Forward 4 Mr. S.K. Sur Chowdhury, Deputy Governor, Bangladesh Bank and BFP-B Project Leader .

Closing Strategic Guidance 5 Mr. Fazle Kabir, Governor, Bangladesh Bank Bangladesh Towards Financial Inclusion International Commitment

The Maya Mandate of Declaration Commitments you National can bank on Financial Inclusion Strategy for National Commitment Bangladesh

SDGs National Social Security Strategy 7th Five Year Plan Financing (NSSS) of Strategy Bangladesh Status Of Financial Inclusion Why Financial Inclusion?

Formal financial system helps people Make Safeguard Plan and pay day-to-day savings for recurring transactions expenses Financial inclusion is a state where every individual and enterprise have access to a wide range of financial products they value and are able to use through open transactional accounts, responsibly delivered by a diverse range of regulated providers that cooperate on shared interoperable market infrastructure and compete on bringing value-to- Finance small Mitigate Drive customer. businesses or shocks economic micro- growth enterprises Bangladesh performs well in formal financial inclusion. Informality is commendably low but this has implications for access.

Bangladesh 21% 20% 14% 45% Banked

India 63% 2% 10% 24% Other formal Kenya 30% 14% 43% 14%

Informal Pakistan 10% 2% 49% 39%

Exclluded Uganda 10% 4% 67% 20%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Access Access to formal financial services high is but customers are thinly served. OTC’s role as a gateway to other services should not be underestimated. Average number of services accessed Payment services make up a significant proportion of financial access. 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 20% 30 % 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% % 30 20% payments) (excluding Access to Formal Financial Services in Bangladesh in Services Financial Formal to Access OTC) (excluding Financial Inclusion Rate Inclusion Financial financial inclusion increases increases by 15% Including Including OTC Population Whole Source: InterMedia (2016) mobile money transactions OTC Over= the Counter As As expected, professionals access the greatest range of products, but some remain fully excluded. Farmers Farmers and dependents have lowest levels of financial inclusion, despite targeted policies.

Average number of services accessed 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 Varying levels and depths of financial inclusion for different professions. Financial Inclusion Rate of different groups in Bangladesh (including OTC) (including Bangladesh in groups different of Rate Inclusion Financial 20% 30 % 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% % 30 20% Dependents Financial Inclusion Rate Inclusion Financial Farmers Labourers Other Professionals entrepreneurs Micro SMEs Source: InterMedia (2016) of people in the group proportional to the number Size of each dot is Disparities

Gender continues to be one of the main disparities, despite targeted efforts to increase financial inclusion. Must be aware of potential digital exclusion across gender and age demographics. OTC plays a role in narrowing geographical disparities.

Gender disparities: Age disparities: Regional Disparities

High Moderate Low

Full service bank account: Potential digital exclusion Divisions relatively clustered 7% women vs. 17% men. mobile money: 10% difference between them 43% among 25-35 year olds but increases to 15% in Access to MFS: vs. 18% in 45+. absence of OTC 27% women vs. 52% men Regions relatively clustered in their access to financial services. OTC narrows geographical disparity.

Geographical disparities of Financial Inclusion (With OTC) 1.6

1.4

1.2 Rajshahi Khulna 1.0 Rangpur Dhaka 0.8 Sylhet Barisal Chittagong 0.6

0.4

20% 30 % 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% Average services numberaccessed of Average

Financial Inclusion Rate Source: InterMedia (2016) Consumer Perspectives 79% don’t have a bank account, most of them don’t see the use case

Bank Account Proportion of 21% banked 79% unbanked Profile Bangladesh

1% LackDon’t of need/insufficient use case: Dont 4% money 1% need or sufficient money

• Why major demand-side 16% Lack of understanding constraint: lack of perceived use case Why don’t you Lack of ID or registration • The supply side appears to have a bank too complicated represent less of a barrier account? Banks costly or unreliable

78% Accessibility issue

Source: InterMedia (2016) Even those with bank accounts are not making full use out of them

Proportion of 21% banked 79% unbanked Bank Account Bangladesh Profile

4% last 30 days 25% • Access high but usage When was the 30-90 days moderate. last time you • Usage barriers used your 56% prevent deeper bank account? 90+ engagement with financial services. 15% Never

Source: InterMedia (2016) Payments and savings are the main drivers of bank account sign-up

Proportion of 21% banked 79% unbanked Bangladesh

Banglad Bangladesh 36% 3% 4% esh 57% Pakistan 54% 39% 2% 5%

India 47% 36% 1% 16%

Uganda 40% 48% 8% 4%

Kenya 38% 56% 2%4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Payments Savings Credit Encouraged by organisation / company

Main reason given for getting a bank account Source: InterMedia (2016) Provider Perspectives Diverse providers resolving problems of reaching last mile (MFS, Agent networks). But lack of synergy across providers constraints financial inclusion.

Performance of MFIs Performance of Performance of MFS Cash is still King Banks Access to credit is high Rapid growth but usage is Vibrant agent network by international 21% banked constrained by regulation will be a critical driver standards and lack of of financial inclusion Rate of growth is low interoperability. Opportunities for growth may be declining. High prospects for growth

1. Fostering Interoperability : Improve coherence and shift from silo approach. Untapped potential 2. Developing client centric business model: For better use case. 3. Embracing digitization of information: Narrow information asymmetries. National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS) for Bangladesh A stand-alone and comprehensive strategy to:

• Assist the Government • Raise awareness • Build trust and collaboration amongst stakeholders • Adopt a coordinated approach across ministries, public and private sectors • Implement, coordinate and monitor actions

Timeline: 2017-2021 a rolling strategy Overview NFIS Development Process

Conduct diagnostic of sub sector studies 1 NFIS Components to Identify demand- supply and regulatory barriers Banking Microfinance Insurance Mobile Digital Payment Sector Sector Sector Financial Financial Systems Collect stakeholders’ Services Services insights and build 2 consensus Short Demand Side Study Identify time –bound action plan, set 3 targets and indicators Cross-cutting Issues

Set targets and 1. Gender, 2. Client Protection, 3. Climate, Finance, establish monitoring 4 4. Agriculture & Value Chain, 5. Sustainable Development and implementation arrangement An integrated financial system that:

Supports rapid and inclusive development 1 of the country’s real sector.

Responds to the needs of the country's 2 population and enterprises.

Provides access to financial products to 3 smooth consumption, invest in opportunities and mitigate shocks. Vision Policy and regulatory framework

Strengthen capacity: data-driven policy analysis.

Mandate for consumer protection.

Regulatory sandbox to support innovation.

Establish interoperability. 1 Revise guidelines for MFS and e-KYC. Strategic Thrusts Appropriate, relevant and efficient financial products and delivery channels

Offer time-bound subsidies to incentivize innovation.

Promote competition.

Enabling regulatory environment.

Forge institutional partnerships.

2 Expand agent banking networks. Capacity building to assess key target groups’ needs. Strategic Innovative financial products and delivery channels for Thrusts excluded groups. Digital Financial Services

Digital innovations.

Develop digital ecosystem.

USSD pricing policy.

Promote use of digital smartcards/NIDs.

Digital inclusion for women.

Increase number of MFS female agents. 3 Develop tailored products. Strategic Open- Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Thrusts Use technology :increase efficiency & reduce transaction cost. Financial literacy and education

Adopt a financial literacy and education programme.

Improve customers’ decision-making. 4 Strategic Thrusts Financial Advocacy

Coordinate and create partnerships across: ministries, regulators, govt. agencies and private sector.

Clarify roles and responsibilities. 5 Strategic Thrusts Financial inclusion for women

Establish quantitative, gender-related targets and gender-focused research for financial literacy and policy design.

Regulatory reforms to increase access to basic 6 financial services for women. Strategic Thrusts • Coordination across government agencies.

• Assessing risks associated with emerging technologies.

• Communicating to private sector roles and responsibilities.

• Tackling group-specific barriers to financial inclusion.

Challenges Coordination structure

• Periodically review financial inclusion strategy. NFIS-B National 1 • Approve time-bound action plan. Council • Provide guidance for policy, institutional and legal reforms.

NFIS-B Steering • Ensure timely undertaking of responsibilities. • Suggest areas for collaboration between public & private sectors. 2 Committee • Prepare action plan and implementation budget.

NFIS-B National • Provide technical, administrative & research support to NNC & NSC. 3 Secretariat • Monitor and Evaluate NFIS progress and share progress reports. • Form technical committees as per need. Roundtable Discussion on National Financial Inclusion Strategy

Moderated by Mr. Md. Eunusur Rahman, Senior Secretary, Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance, Government of Bangladesh. Way Forward

By Mr. S.K. Sur Chowdhury, Deputy Governor, Bangladesh Bank and BFP-B Project Leader. Closing Strategic Guidance

By Mr. Fazle Kabir, Governor, Bangladesh Bank . Thank You

Roundtable on National Financial Inclusion Strategy