FINANCIAL INCLUSION & MARKET DEVELOPMENT IN EAST AFRICAN ECONOMIES

This collaborative project by the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that focuses on delivery of financial services and financial inclusion in the East African Community (EAC) economies and the prospects of market development.

It sought to provide an assessment of enablers to financial inclusion so that no one
is left behind– focusing on connectivity, electronic ID system to secure
the market and regulatory capacity to regulate, protect and nudge the
market to the optimal development path (including other relevant
enablers of policy or institutions)

Issues to be documented during the Collaboration
❑ Progresses, prospects and challenges in the implementation of the Financial Inclusion
Strategy
❑ Financial inclusion, the role of Digital Financial Services and financial development – what
are the gaps and challenges and how can they be addressed
❑ Gender and financial inclusion: what are the institutional, policy and other barriers that
impede women from accessing financial services as well as digital financial services?
❑ Market developments – what is required, regulatory environment to support access
digital finance in remote areas? What challenges do they face? How prohibiting are the
transactions cost?
❑ The impediments to the success of financial inclusion, e.g. Connectivity, Electronic ID
system, regulatory capacity and capability among others.

Six Institutions from East Africa are taking part in this project
❑ The Economic Policy Research Network (EPRN) -Rwanda
❑ Kenya Bankers Association – Kenya
❑ Bank Of South Sudan (BoSS) with Ebony Center for Strategic Studies (ECSS) –
South Sudan
❑ Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Research Organization (STIPRO) –
Tanzania
❑ Centre Universitaire de Recherche pour le Development Economique et
Social (CURDES) – Burundi
❑ Economic Policy Research Centre (EPRC) – Uganda