Agent Banking in a Highly Under-Developed Financial Sector : Evidence from the Democratic Republic of Congo
The paper provides evidence on the number and volume of financial transactions undertaken by agents (local businesses that double as more convenient, lower cost alternatives to formal branches) of the largest microfinance institution operating in t...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Working Paper |
| Language: | English en_US |
| Published: |
World Bank, Washington, DC
2017
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/722441488208513171/Agent-banking-in-a-highly-under-developed-financial-sector-evidence-from-the-Democratic-Republic-of-Congo http://hdl.handle.net/10986/26182 |
| Summary: | The paper provides evidence on the
number and volume of financial transactions undertaken by
agents (local businesses that double as more convenient,
lower cost alternatives to formal branches) of the largest
microfinance institution operating in the Democratic
Republic of Congo. More important than agents’ personal
characteristics, transactions are higher in low-income,
densely populated areas with high levels of commercial
development. This finding suggests that the agent network
has been best at supporting financial transactions among the
urban poor. In addition, branding and effective liquidity
management are strongly linked to agent activity. |
|---|