Competition from commercial banks is prompting microfinance institutions in urban areas ofPeru and other Latin American nations to provide more service to lower-income groups. Wherehigher-income clients are already served by commercial banks, microfinance institutions competeby attending to a...

Global efforts to counter terrorism financing and money laundering have led banks to terminaterelationships with some communities, businesses, and individuals around the world. When a financialinstitution or intermediary cannot easily judge the identity and associated risks of a customer, it is...

Blending funds from private investors with concessional funds from donors and philanthropic sourceshas a strong potential to scale up investment in lower-income countries and thereby acceleratedevelopment. The use of blended concessional finance is already prevalent in lower-income...

Emerging markets must attract significant international financing to meet their goals for mitigating carbon pollution and increasing access to clean, affordable, reliable, and resilient energy. The authors* of this note examine how blockchain technology can—if paired with smart, interconnected...

Developing a proper governance and regulatory framework for blockchain-based applications will be essential to providing market participants the stability they need to fully engage with the technology and allowing innovation to flourish. Given the global, multi-sectoral reach of blockchain,...

Created in Peru in 2008, Works for Taxes is an innovative approach to accelerating infrastructureinvestment. It allows private firms to “pay” their income taxes in advance through the execution ofpublic works projects. By accepting infrastructure projects in lieu of future taxes, national,...

Like most emerging markets, Peru suffers from low banking penetration and faces challengesto providing financial services. Beginning in 2015, a strategy called Modelo Peru emerged as acollaboration between financial institutions, telecom companies, and the government, with the goalof launching a...

Development institutions, governments, and the investment community have been exploring ways to increase private capital flows to support critical development projects in emerging markets. A new financing mechanism applies the risk-bearing capacity and know-how of insurance companies to allow...

Financing infrastructure in emerging markets is a critical global challenge for sustainable development. Through a new International Finance Corporation (IFC) program, private institutional investors can directly participate in the evolving infrastructure asset class in emerging markets. The...

Agriculture is central to emerging market economies. In Africa it accounts for as much as 65 percent of employment and 32 percent of output. Globally, two-thirds of the world’s poor - some 750 million people - work in rural areas. But as economies expand and production shifts to manufacturing...