ways that create synergies among different service providers such as commercial banks and the country’s postal service, including interoperability of payment processing platforms. Rwanda. As part of Rwanda’s Financial Sector Development Program, the World Bank diagnosed and recommended solutions for a number of weaknesses in the financial sector, a key component being recommendations related to strengthening the national payment systems by improving processing efficiency. Ethiopia. The World Bank supports efforts of the national authorities to build a more transparent, well-governed, well-regulated, and competitive financial sector, including implementing support for an automated transfer system. BCEAO Regional Payment Systems Project received support to introduce modern payment instruments and clearing and settlement processes in the WAEMU. Also, to establish and install an appropriate set of regional payment mechanisms that would make payments safe, secure, convenient, and deliverable in a timely manner in accordance with international standards. The BCEAO Regional Payment Systems Project broadly met its goals. Results from the project included an upgrading of the basic payment systems infrastructure.
6.2
Development Partners
Development partners have undertaken studies and initiatives to support the development of technology platforms for country-based systems.
6.2.1
CGAP
Scenarios for Branchless Banking in 2020. This CGAP-published report (Pickens and others 2009) provides four scenarios for government and private sector to identify strategies in branchless banking that can maximize the spread and depth of branchless banking as a means to improving poor people’s access to financial services. It also highlights key uncertainties, including the regulatory framework, market competition, and businesses (existing and new) and consumers that could significantly affect the outcomes or attractiveness of new channels to providers and consumers. WIZZIT payments Ltd. CGAP supports WIZZIT (a division of the South African Bank of Athens) to deliver banking services to poor people in South Africa’s small towns and rural areas. WIZZIT is a branchless banking business that enables customers to use mobile phones to access bank accounts and conduct transactions.29 The payment service for wholesalers serves more than 500 micro-entrepreneurs, known as “spaza shops” 30 in the township of Motherwell, where 3 out of 5 people are unbanked.
6.2.2
BIS
The BIS has worked in partnership with other development organizations to serve as a guide to improve payment systems worldwide. General Guidance for National Payment System Development. A CPSS task force on Payment System Principles and Practices was established in May 1998 to consider principles to govern the design and operation of payment systems in all countries. In 2006, the BIS published the General Guidance for National Payment System Development to provide an analysis of the remittances payment system and general principles to guide countries in improving the market for remittance services. The 14 guidelines also include sections and examples on various ways in which payment systems could be implemented (BIS 2006).31 The CPSS (1999) published the “Green Book”, which covers the SADC countries: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The report provided an overview of the payment systems in the respective countries and assessed the role of non-bank and bank financial 29More
information on WIZZIT at http://www.wizzit.co.za. shops are informal convenience shop businesses in South Africa, usually run from a home. 31CPSS also co-operated with the World Bank on the publishing of General Principles for International Remittance Services (BIS/World Bank 2007). 30Spaza
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