Country Studies Archives - G2P Network /resources/country-studies/ Wed, 12 Oct 2022 21:20:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7 Digitalization and Social Protection: Macro and Micro Lessons for Vietnam /digitalization-and-social-protection-macro-and-micro-lessons-for-vietnam/ Wed, 12 Oct 2022 21:20:16 +0000 /?p=1635 The COVID-19 shock has underscored the importance of digital tools for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of social protection systems. Cross-country evidence suggests that digital IDs linked with bank and/or mobile money accounts can improve the delivery of social protection programs and better reach eligible beneficiaries. Using data from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey, we present micro simulations on the welfare gains of digital social protection during the pandemic....

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]]> The COVID-19 shock has underscored the importance of digital tools for enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of social protection systems. Cross-country evidence suggests that digital IDs linked with bank and/or mobile money accounts can improve the delivery of social protection programs and better reach eligible beneficiaries. Using data from the Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey, we present micro simulations on the welfare gains of digital social protection during the pandemic. While digitalization offers opportunities, potential risks would need to be carefully managed. Vietnam is advancing on individual pieces of the digitalization puzzle, including full digital IDs and mobile money, and the next step is to put these pieces together.

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]]> Using Social Protection to Respond to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia /using-social-protection-to-respond-to-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-indonesia/ Tue, 19 Jul 2022 18:34:39 +0000 /?p=1627 This case study synthesizes the social protection response to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia in 2020. It is part of six country case studies developed as part of the Social Protection Approaches to COVID-19 Expert Advice Helpline’s (SPACE) learning and documentation approach. By capturing country-level social protection responses to COVID-19, the case studies aim to inform the global audiences as to what has happened, what has...

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]]> This case study synthesizes the social protection response to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia in 2020. It is part of six country case studies developed as part of the Social Protection Approaches to COVID-19 Expert Advice Helpline’s (SPACE) learning and documentation approach. By capturing country-level social protection responses to COVID-19, the case studies aim to inform the global audiences as to what has happened, what has worked well and less well and why. The case studies primarily draw upon a review of existing research; government regulations, decrees and policies; news media; and online media such as blogs and webinars. This desk-based review is supplemented by select key informant interviews (KIIs).

The case study is structured as follows: This introductory section presents an overview of the country, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the national social protection system. It is followed by Section 2, which presents the social protection responses to COVID-19 in terms of the design, financing and delivery systems. Finally, Section 3 concludes with a light-touch assessment of the response and its long-term implications for the national social protection system.

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]]> Can Digital G2P Transfers Drive Financial Inclusion and Digital Payments? Evidence from India /can-digital-g2p-transfers-drive-financial-inclusion-and-digital-payments-evidence-from-india/ Wed, 22 Jun 2022 16:35:33 +0000 /?p=1623 Does channeling government-to-person (G2P) payments through bank accounts encourage financial inclusion and use? This paper explores the factors that have driven the adoption of digital payments in India by beneficiaries of PMGKY, the large-scale COVID-19 relief program launched in May 2020. India’s 2013 move to pay social benefits through direct transfers into bank accounts significantly increased account ownership, but uptake of digital payments has been slower, although it has accelerated...

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]]> Does channeling government-to-person (G2P) payments through bank accounts encourage financial inclusion and use? This paper explores the factors that have driven the adoption of digital payments in India by beneficiaries of PMGKY, the large-scale COVID-19 relief program launched in May 2020. India’s 2013 move to pay social benefits through direct transfers into bank accounts significantly increased account ownership, but uptake of digital payments has been slower, although it has accelerated more recently through smartphone-based apps. Recipient survey data shows that personal and household attributes influence the likelihood of adopting digital payments. Smartphone ownership and digital literacy improve the odds while being a woman reduces them. The strength of the local digital payments ecosystem also exerts significant influence on household adoption; favorable personal and ecosystem factors are needed for widespread use. The historical progression shows that G2P transfers create an entry point but that widespread access to low-cost mobile telecommunications, interoperability, and the entry of new players offering convenient payments interfaces have been vital to the growth of digital payments.

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]]> COVID-19 and Social Assistance in the Philippines: Lessons for Future Resilience /covid-19-and-social-assistance-in-the-philippines-lessons-for-future-resilience/ Fri, 20 May 2022 14:02:11 +0000 /?p=1619 This note describes the phases of the COVID-19 SP response in the Philippines and assesses the performance with a focus on social assistance. It provides estimates of the coverage, adequacy, targeting accuracy, timeliness, and payment delivery of COVID-19 social assistance in the Philippines based on several household surveys and studies. The note pays special attention to the Philippines’ flagship social protection program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and the...

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]]> This note describes the phases of the COVID-19 SP response in the Philippines and assesses the performance with a focus on social assistance. It provides estimates of the coverage, adequacy, targeting accuracy, timeliness, and payment delivery of COVID-19 social assistance in the Philippines based on several household surveys and studies. The note pays special attention to the Philippines’ flagship social protection program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and the COVID-19 emergency cash assistance program, the Social Amelioration Program (SAP), which came to rely heavily on digital distribution methods.

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]]> Beyond India’s Lockdown: PMGKY Benefits During the COVID-19 Crisis and the State of Digital Payments /beyond-indias-lockdown-pmgky-benefits-during-the-covid-19-crisis-and-the-state-of-digital-payments/ Fri, 29 Apr 2022 20:26:52 +0000 /?p=1616 India imposed a lock-down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and began a gradual re-opening in June. A telephonic survey in April examined the early effectiveness of information and the massive PMGKY social protection program (Policy Paper 217). This paper analyzes a second-round survey, conducted six months later. Logistical and information constraints had relaxed, and incomes and jobs had begun to stabilize for some. There were not...

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]]> India imposed a lock-down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and began a gradual re-opening in June. A telephonic survey in April examined the early effectiveness of information and the massive PMGKY social protection program (Policy Paper 217). This paper analyzes a second-round survey, conducted six months later. Logistical and information constraints had relaxed, and incomes and jobs had begun to stabilize for some. There were not strong indications of differential access to benefits by income or location, but constraints to providing public employment had tightened in the face of increased demand, resulting in greater job rationing. Men made more use of digital channels, with a clear smartphone ownership hierarchy between men and women; this divide carried over into the growing autonomous use of digital payments which is conditioned on access to smartphones. Survey results confirm strong local agglomeration effects in digital payments, mirroring the general pattern with higher use in states hosting India’s major technology hubs. At the same time, trust-based concerns reduced the use of assisted digital cash-outs through agents.

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]]> National Digital Payments Roadmap – Bangladesh 2022-2025 /national-digital-payments-roadmap-bangladesh-2022-2025/ Fri, 29 Apr 2022 20:19:53 +0000 /?p=1614 Investment in the digital infrastructure of the country has been a priority for the Government of Bangladesh in the past decade, ever since the vision for Digital Bangladesh was launched. Digital payments are critical to the government’s vision and ensuring these are scaled responsibly is now critical. The National Digital Payments Roadmap (‘the Roadmap’) provides a high-level plan to expand the adoption of responsible digital payments in a way that...

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]]> Investment in the digital infrastructure of the country has been a priority for the Government of Bangladesh in the past decade, ever since the vision for Digital Bangladesh was launched.
Digital payments are critical to the government’s vision and ensuring these are scaled responsibly is now critical. The National Digital Payments Roadmap (‘the Roadmap’) provides
a high-level plan to expand the adoption of responsible digital payments in a way that is agile, inclusive, and helps achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is designed to
accelerate collaboration between the public and private stakeholders and present a framework for using new approaches and technologies to transform the payment ecosystem. The
Roadmap builds on the UN Principles for Responsible Digital Payments (‘UN Principles’) and recommends drivers for foundational elements: environment, infrastructure, processes, policies,
and actions. The solutions are mapped to the national vision and aligned with the capabilities of the ecosystem participants.

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]]> Digitalization: A Safe Path to a More Inclusive Recovery in Indonesia? /digitalization-a-safe-path-to-a-more-inclusive-recovery-in-indonesia/ Fri, 29 Apr 2022 19:39:12 +0000 /?p=1611 There are two key longstanding structural constraints to inclusive growth in Indonesia—low financial inclusion and limited access to finance—resulting in a large financing gap. Indonesia’s digitalization— growing rapidly in the e-commerce and financial services sector, the latter facilitated by fintech—is helping close this gap. The COVID-19 pandemic will likely serve to further accelerate this digital transformation: adoption of e-commerce and digital payments has increased amidst lockdowns and social distancing. Digitalization...

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]]> There are two key longstanding structural constraints to inclusive growth in Indonesia—low financial inclusion and limited access to finance—resulting in a large financing gap. Indonesia’s digitalization— growing rapidly in the e-commerce and financial services sector, the latter facilitated by fintech—is helping close this gap. The COVID-19 pandemic will likely serve to further accelerate this digital transformation: adoption of e-commerce and digital payments has increased amidst lockdowns and social distancing. Digitalization can also help counter the impact of the COVID-19 crisis, including through the delivery of government support measures, and support longer-term growth. However, attempting to scale up digitalization quickly as a response to a crisis, is not merely challenging but also potentially risky (e.g., risks to financial stability or cyber risks). Hence, important challenges need to be addressed first (e.g., infrastructure, skills, regulations) to ensure an inclusive and stable recovery.

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]]> Social Protection in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons from South Africa /social-protection-in-the-covid-19-pandemic-lessons-from-south-africa/ Fri, 04 Mar 2022 14:28:08 +0000 /?p=1596 This paper reviews South Africa’s social protection policies and their implementation during the COVID-19 crisis. Overall, the government reached over 30 million South Africans with cash-based relief measures. A distinctive feature of cash-based emergency relief was the use of digital technologies, especially in the application and verification process for the new SRD grant. The payment system, however, relied heavily on manual cash disbursements, thus failing to reflect the adoption of...

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]]> This paper reviews South Africa’s social protection policies and their implementation during the COVID-19 crisis. Overall, the government reached over 30 million South Africans with cash-based relief measures. A distinctive feature of cash-based emergency relief was the use of digital technologies, especially in the application and verification process for the new SRD grant. The payment system, however, relied heavily on manual cash disbursements, thus failing to reflect the adoption of innovative digital technologies observed in many other African countries.

 

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]]> Digitalization of Social Protection Systems Policy in Indonesia as a Step Towards Society 5.0 /digitalization-of-social-protection-systems-policy-in-indonesia-as-a-step-towards-society-5-0/ Fri, 21 Jan 2022 22:21:02 +0000 /?p=1581 This paper discusses efforts to digitize Indonesia’s social protection systems in the context of Japan’s Society 5.0 initiative. It summarizes the trajectory of database development and use in Indonesia, as well as the country’s 2017 mandate that all government benefits be distributed in a cashless manner.

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]]> This paper discusses efforts to digitize Indonesia’s social protection systems in the context of Japan’s Society 5.0 initiative. It summarizes the trajectory of database development and use in Indonesia, as well as the country’s 2017 mandate that all government benefits be distributed in a cashless manner.

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]]> Digital Cash Transfers in LAO PDR /digital-cash-transfers-in-lao-pdr/ Mon, 10 Jan 2022 21:52:33 +0000 /?p=1574 The use of cash as a modality for delivering humanitarian and social protection assistance in Lao PDR is nascent. Up until recently, cash in hand has been the only feasible way to deliver transfers to targeted recipients. This scoping exercise highlights how mobile money could redress some of the drawbacks linked to cash in hand for both cash actors and beneficiaries. These include: access constraints, lack of traceability, and the...

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]]> The use of cash as a modality for delivering humanitarian and social protection assistance in Lao PDR is nascent. Up until recently, cash in hand has been the only feasible way to deliver transfers to targeted recipients. This scoping exercise highlights how mobile money could redress some of the drawbacks linked to cash in hand for both cash actors and beneficiaries. These include: access constraints, lack of traceability, and the inherent risks associated with manually distributing large sums of cash.

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