Online Event: Digital Currency and Remittances in the Time of Covid-19

The World Bank forecasts that Covid-19 will drive sub-Saharan Africa toward its first recession in 25 years. This presents an opportunity for digital currency technologies to alleviate some of the region’s economic downturn while addressing mounting health concerns. At least a dozen African governments have waived fees and established more flexible measures for opening mobile money accounts since the start of lockdowns. At the same time, remittances are trending downwards as diaspora communities run into excessive fees and skittish money transfer operators using over-compliance measures.

What policy decisions are necessary to establish an enabling environment for digital currency platforms in sub-Saharan Africa and the developed world? How should governments integrate digital currency systems with formal banking institutions, tech platforms, and mobile phone operators—contributing to a new, more affordable, and inclusive system? The Africa Program invites you to join us on August 24 from 9-10 am EDT for a discussion on the opportunities and challenges in digital currency technologies in sub-Saharan Africa during a global pandemic. Information on speakers will be added closer to the event date.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Subscribe to our channel: http://cs.is/2dCfTve

CSIS is ranked the #1 think tank in the United States by Global Go To Think Tank Index. Visit http://www.csis.org to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges.

Check out the rest of our videos here: http://cs.is/2dolqpj

Follow CSIS on Twitter: http://twitter.com/csis

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CSIS.org

And on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/csis/