This book surveys the experience of some developed and Asian emerging economies to assess factors affecting the ability of low-income households and small firms to access financial services, including financial literacy, financial education programs, and financial regulatory frameworks, and identify policies that can improve their financial access while maintaining financial stability. It identifies successful experiences and important lessons that can be adopted by other emerging economies. The studies cover the experiences of Germany, the United Kingdom, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka (authored by Saman Kelegama and Ganga Tilakaratna), and Thailand.
The book takes a practical and holistic approach to issues related to financial inclusion. For example, innovative methods of promoting financial access, such as mobile phone banking and microfinance, require corresponding innovations in regulatory frameworks, perimeters, and capacity. Moreover, programs in the areas of financial education and consumer protection are needed to enable households and small firms to take full advantage of improvements in financial access. [From ADB website]