Financial inclusion
Currency manager: National Bank of Ukraine
Ukraine’s decisive actions to cut currency denominations while upgrading banknotes and coins are starting to pay off
Transparency: National Bank of Georgia
Georgia’s central bank has improved communications on monetary policy, financial stability and consumer protection
Communications initiative: Bank of Portugal
The launch of two mobile apps marked the final steps to redesign digital communication channels with both the public and own employees
Sri Lankan central bank launches national financial inclusion strategy
Project aims to bring together “isolated efforts” on financial inclusion under central bank’s lead
Book notes: Capital and ideology, by Thomas Piketty
A political pamphlet like Milton’s ‘Areopagitica’, but longer
Ugandan governor given fifth term following national election
Uncertainty surrounds timing of Mutebile’s return to office, as deputy steps in at latest MPC meeting
Saudi Arabia to launch instant payment system in days
New system will go live following successful pilot with Saudi banks – Sama
Riksbank extends e-krona pilot to test offline functionality
Sweden’s central bank will continue CBDC experiment until 2022
Bank of Mexico moves to counter controversial cash law
Financial inclusion proposal follows draft legislation to make central bank buy up spare US dollar cash
Thai interbank platform starts ‘bulk payments’
Upgrade will increase operability between systems, company says
FCA urges UK banks to postpone branch closures
Closures during pandemic could have “significant consequences” for consumers, FCA warns
Ulrich Bindseil on the launch of the digital euro
The ECB’s director-general for market infrastructure and payments speaks about the functionality, tiering approaches, privacy policies, ledger technology and ecosystem impact of the eurozone's planned CBDC
More central banks plan experimental CBDCs – BIS
Emerging market central banks in particular are focusing on retail CBDCs, report says
Nigeria’s central bank unveils sandbox and QR guidelines
Both initiatives should help foster innovation within the payment space
MAS urges Singaporeans to use digital ‘red envelopes’ during Lunar New Year
E-hong bao help reduce the carbon emissions of printing banknotes, MAS says
People: New deputies named in China and Mexico
Plus ECB appoints senior supervisors, and Donald Trump tries to install new OCC chief
BoE needs ‘better handle’ on control of UK currency
Lawmakers highlight the UK’s disjointed cash management, which could put consumers at risk, they say
Singapore non-bank firms can use real-time payments systems – MAS
“Major payment institutions” will be able to use two real-time systems from February 2021
The world’s first retail CBDC tiptoes into existence
The Bahamas’ e-solutions manager Bobby Chen speaks about how Covid-19 brought forward the nationwide launch of the ‘sand dollar’, and how limits and wallet types are affecting usage
Central banks face fintech ‘balancing act’ in Latin America – BIS paper
Region needs right institutional framework to benefit from rapid rise of fintech, authors say
Cambodia officially launches quasi-CBDC
Cambodia’s blockchain-powered payment system goes live
Eurozone credit tightened in Q3
Worsening economic outlook boosts borrowers’ credit risk, says the ECB
The winners of the 2020 FinTech and RegTech Global Awards
Central banks and their partners have innovated across machine learning, cloud services, payments and more
Georgia’s Gvenetadze on implementing an aggressive reform agenda
The National Bank of Georgia governor speaks about efforts to improve monetary policy, financial infrastructure, financial literacy, transparency and ESG