COVID-19 Briefing
Debt Relief in the Pandemic: Lessons from India, Peru, and Uganda
The widespread use of debt moratoria in response to the COVID-19 health and economic emergencies has succeeded in stabilizing financial systems and given borrowers all over the world immediate, if temporary, relief. This Briefing examines how the debt moratoria unfolded in India, Peru and Uganda.COVID-19 Briefing
Consumer Protection and COVID-19: Borrower Risks as Economies Reopen
Lockdowns have put consumers in financial need and providers under stress, setting the stage for consumer protection challenges to emerge around the provision of credit. In this Briefing, we offer preliminary recommendations for policy makers, regulators, and FSPs on how to keep borrower financial needs front and center without putting excessive stress on FSPs.COVID-19 Briefing
Microfinance and COVID-19: Principles for Regulatory Response
As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, further policy steps have proven necessary, both within and beyond the financial sector, to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic on businesses and ordinary people. This Briefing applies five guiding principle to country contexts, and specifically addresses what each principle means for regulatory responses to the COVID-19 crisis.COVID-19 Briefing
Debt Restructuring in Microfinance
The twin global crises of a health pandemic and economic lockdowns are severely harming the livelihoods of low-income people around the world. Microfinance providers and funders are returning to the negotiating table to respond to liquidity and, possibly, solvency issues facing distressed MFPs.COVID-19 Briefing
Social Assistance Payments in Response to COVID-19: The Role of Donors
Countries worldwide are using social assistance payments as a component of their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This briefing addresses how donors and their partners can design and implement social assistance payments that are efficient and secure while providing recipients with reliable, convenient, and safe access to their payments.COVID-19 Briefing
Relief for Informal Workers: Falling through the Cracks in COVID-19
Informal workers are not recognized by social protection agencies and do not have the protections offered by formal sector employment, yet they make up a majority of the workforce. Many have lost income-generating opportunities due to the COVID-19 pandemic—and providing relief for these individuals is critical.COVID-19 Briefing
COVID-19 and Disruptions to Vulnerable Rural Livelihoods in the Sahel
The livelihoods of vulnerable rural households in fragile environments such as Niger and the wider Sahel have been strongly affected by the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. A holistic, coordinated approach by stakeholders can help create solutions that make it possible for vulnerable rural households to escape the recurring cycle of emergency food aid and greatly enhance their resilience to future shocks.COVID-19 Briefing
Rapid Account Opening in a Pandemic
Governments and funders worldwide are responding to the severe economic blow from the COVID-19 pandemic by delivering social assistance payments to families and individuals. Increasingly, they are turning to digital delivery for disbursements, which has accelerated the demand for financial services providers (FSPs) to be able to open formal financial accounts rapidly and with minimal or zero physical contact with customers.COVID-19 Briefing