Regional Webinar on Instant Payment Systems (IPS) and Crossborder Payments for Financial Inclusion

On the 27^th of April, the policy makers and financial institutions in the Arab Region will celebrate the Arab Financial Inclusion Day: a day to share achievements in the field of financial inclusion, especially towards women, youth, forcibly displaced people and other disadvantaged populations; a day to learn and share knowledge and experiences to increase the skills and enhance the debate; and a day to raise awareness among financial institutions, partners, and stakeholders involved in the journey to leave no one behind.

This webinar will be a moderated discussion under AFI’s Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) Platform, bringing together AFI members and private sector partners to speak and share their experiences and key recommendations on how to implement successful payments systems targeting the needs of disadvantaged population. This webinar will welcome the EGFIP members of the ARFIPI, the technical staff working in the field of digital financial services, and AFI member focal points. Other participants engaged in this priority area will also be welcomed.

The terminal objective of this webinar is to foster a comprehensive understanding and exchange knowledge on the implementation and impact of instant payment systems and cross-border payments, aiming to enhance financial inclusion in the Arab Region. Specific objectives are:

To elucidate the emerging trends, challenges, and opportunities in digital payments, focusing on both instant payment systems and cross-border payment mechanisms within the Arab Region.
To explore various IPS models and how they integrate with cross-border payment solutions, emphasizing digital financial inclusion acceleration for forcibly displaced persons and other disadvantaged groups.
To analyze diverse regulatory, legal, governance, and ownership frameworks that facilitate access to key digital payment infrastructures, focusing integrations, partnerships, and opportunities for diverse ecosystem actors.
To deliberate on the pricing, costing, and economic sustainability of payment systems, with a particular focus financial education, digital literacy and low-cost cross-border transactions to ensure inclusion of underserved populations.