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Digital Financial Services
Working Group (DFSWG)

Digital Financial Services
Working Group (DFSWG)

A platform for policymakers to discuss regulatory issues relating to digital financial services, including mobile financial services, branchless banking, electronic money and digital payment solutions.

DFSWG aims to promote digital financial services as a major driver of greater financial inclusion in emerging and developing countries.

It encourages policymakers to exchange experiences to develop a shared understanding of the risks in emerging digital financial services business models. At the same time, it works with global standard-setting bodies in order to represent the voice of developing and emerging countries.

72
Member
Institutions
66
Countries
184
Policy
Changes
21
Knowledge
Products

CHAIR

Ehab Nasr, Central Bank of Egypt

CO-CHAIR

Alejandro Medina, SPS Peru

CO-CHAIR

Candy Ngula, Bank of Namibia

  • Create an enabling policy and regulatory environment for transformational DFS at national levels;
  • Develop a shared understanding of the risk profiles of emerging digital financial services business models, which is essential in designing appropriate regulatory frameworks;
  • Stimulate discussion and learning on new approaches and good practices in DFS regulation by encouraging policymakers to exchange experiences;
  • Provide a platform for capturing, tracking and sharing information on innovative DFS, products, business models and appropriate new policy
    responses;
  • Establish linkages and provide inputs, where appropriate, to global Standard-Setting bodies (SSBs) and other stakeholders seeking to establish proportionate supervisory practices for DFS.
  • DFS and Consumer Protection Policy Model Subgroup (jointly with CEMCWG):
    Policy model on DFS and Consumer protection.
  • Data Protection & Privacy Subgroup:
    White paper – Data Protection & Privacy in the Age of Data Driven Financial Services.
  • QR Code Standardization Subgroup:
    Guideline Note on QR code standardization including case studies to understand
    different models and issues related to QR codes payments and standardization.
  • Digital Financial Literacy and Capability subgroup (jointly with CEMCWG):
    Guideline Note on Digital Financial Literacy and Capability.
  • Regulatory Sandboxes Subgroup:
    Toolkit on Regulatory Sandboxes.
  • Regtech Technical Taskforce (DFSWG Focal Points):
    Special Report: Regtech for Financial Inclusion.
    2020

  • Lessons on Enhancing Women’s Financial Inclusion Using Digital Financial Services DFS).
  • Policy Framework for Leveraging Digital Financial Services to Respond to Global Emergencies – Case of COVID-19.

    • 2019

  • Cybersecurity for financial inclusion: framework & risk guide
  • Policy Model for E-Money
  • Policy framework for women’s financial inclusion using digital financial services
  • Guideline Note 33: Digital Financial Services Indicators
  • Guideline Note 32: KYC Innovations, Financial Inclusion and Integrity in selected AFI Member Countries

    • 2018

  • FinTech for Financial Inclusion: A Framework for Digital Financial Transformation
  • Guideline Note 30: Innovative CrossBorder Remittance Services: Experiences from AFI Member Countries
  • Financial Inclusion through Digital Financial Services and FinTech: The Case of Egypt
  • Systems to support Financial Inclusion Digitally Enabled Cross Border Remittances in Lesotho: Key Policy Consideration to Break Uptake Barriers

    • 2017

  • Guideline Note 29: National Retail Payment

    • 2016

  • Guideline Note 19: DFS Basic Terminology

    • 2014

  • Guideline Note 15: MFS Assessing Levels of Interoperability
  • Guideline Note 14: MFS Mobile-Enabled Cross-Border Payments
  • Guideline Note 13: MFS Consumer Protection in Mobile Financial Services
  • Guideline Note 12: MFS Supervision and Oversight of Mobile Financial Services

    • 2013

  • Guideline Note 11: MFS Indicators for Measuring Access and Usage
  • Guideline Note 03: MFS Regulatory Reporting
  • Guideline Note 02: MFS Technology Risks
  • Guideline Note 01: MFS Basic Terminology
  • Superintendencia de Banca y Seguros del Perú
    Draft regulation on “Information security and cybersecurity management”
  • Bank of Sierra Leone
    Tiered KYC Requirements
  • Central Bank of Sri Lanka
    Financial Technology Regulatory Sandbox
  • Central Bank of Egypt
    Regulatory Sandbox
  • Da Afghanistan Bank
    2016 Electronic Money Institution’s Regulation
  • Banco Central de Timor-Leste
    Regulation on Electronic Fund Transfers
  • Central Bank of Sudan
    Mobile Payment Rules
  • Direction Générale du Trésor, Ministère
    des Finances et du Budget (Madagascar) Law on E-Money and E-Money Issuers
  • Bank of Ghana
    Guidelines for E-Money issuers
  • Bank of Tanzania
    MFS regulations (2011), E-Money regulations (2015)
  • Central Bank of Yemen
    Regulations on mobile e-money services
  • Banque Centrale de la République de Guinèe (BCRG)
    Circular letter on MFS and Agent Banking
  • National Bank of Ethiopia
    MFS and agent banking service directives
  • Bank of Sierra Leone
    Guidelines on mobile money services
  • Central Bank of Liberia
    Guidelines on mobile money services
  • Bank of Papua New Guinea
    MFS regulations
  • Reserve Bank of Malawi
    Agent banking regulations
  • Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan
    E-Money issuing regulations
  • Central Bank of Egypt
    Regulatory Sandbox approach
  • Central Bank of Sierra Leone
    Tiered KYC Framework
  • Banco Central de Reserva de El Salvador
  • Banco Central de São Tomé e Príncipe
  • Banco Central de Timor-Leste
  • Banco Central del Paraguay
  • Banco de la República de Colombia
  • Banco de Moçambique
  • Banco Nacional de Angola
  • Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
  • Bangladesh Bank
  • Bank Al-Maghrib
  • Bank Negara Malaysia
  • Bank of Ghana
  • Bank of Namibia
  • Bank of Papua New Guinea
  • Bank of Sierra Leone
  • Bank of Tanzania
  • Bank of Thailand
  • Bank of Uganda
  • Bank of Zambia
  • Banque Centrale de la Republique
    de Guinée
  • Banque Centrale de Madagascar
  • Banque Centrale de Mauritanie
  • Banque Centrale de Tunisie
  • Banque Centrale des Etats de l’Afrique
    de l’Ouest (BCEAO)
  • Banque Centrale du Congo
  • Banque de la République d’Haiti
  • Banque de la République du Burundi
  • Central Bank of Armenia
  • Central Bank of Egypt
  • Central Bank of Eswatini
  • Central Bank of Jordan
  • Central Bank of Lesotho
  • Central Bank of Liberia
  • Central Bank of Nigeria
  • Central Bank of Samoa
  • Central Bank of Seychelles
  • Central Bank of Solomon Islands
  • Central Bank of Sri Lanka
  • Central Bank of the Bahamas
  • Central Bank of The Gambia
  • Central Bank of the Republic of
    Uzbekistan
  • Central Bank of the Russian Federation
  • Centrale Bank van Suriname
  • Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores
    de México (CNBV)
  • Comisión Nacional de Bancos y Seguros
    de Honduras
  • Da Afghanistan Bank
  • Direction Générale du Trésor, Ministère
    de l’Economie et des Finances,
    Madagascar
  • Financial Regulatory Commission of
    Mongolia
  • Maldives Monetary Authority
  • Ministère de l’Économie et des Finances
    de la Côte d’Ivoire
  • Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances et
    du Budget du Sénégal
  • Ministère des Finances de la République
    Tunisienne
  • Ministry of Finance – Eswatini
  • Ministry of Finance Zambia
  • National Bank of Cambodia
  • National Bank of Rwanda
  • National Bank of Tajikistan
  • National Bank of the Republic of Belarus
  • National Reserve Bank of Tonga
  • Nepal Rastra Bank
  • Palestine Monetary Authority
  • Reserve Bank of Fiji
  • Reserve Bank of Malawi
  • Reserve Bank of Vanuatu
  • Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
  • Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan
  • Russian Microfinance Center
  • State Bank of Pakistan
  • Superintendencia de Banca, Seguros y
    AFP del PerúSuperintendencia de la
    Economía Popular y Solidaria de Ecuador
  • Superintendencia General de Entidades
    Financieras de Costa Rica (SUGEF)

Webinars

Trends and recent research by the Bank of International Settlement indicates an acceleration in the exploration of central bank digital currencies (CBDC) globally. Within the AFI network, about 40 percent of members have conducted experiments with 10 percent at pilot stages. This reflects a significant interest in understanding, exploring, and taking forward CBDC related interventions by the AFI network, as seen with the recent launch of Sanddollar by the Central Bank of The Bahamas.
The objective of this technical webinar hosted by the DFSWG was to address these questions through a plenary session delivered by technical experts, regulators and industry stakeholders, including country sharing from the AFI network. The webinar deep-dived into identifying the motivating factors for this growing interest, and its implications to monetary policy, financial system integrity & stability, consumer protection, and especially linkages to financial inclusion is therefore imperative.

- Read More

The AFI network-wide webinar with BigTech leaders, ecosystem experts and financial regulators discusses the role of BigTechs and digital platforms in response to the global emergency, the linkages on deepening financial inclusion, as well as how these technology players align and support regulatory measure and policy interventions. Topics covered include: digital infrastructure resilience, provision of essential services such as groceries and deliveries, payments and financial services, cybersecurity and fraud, compliance and measures to check high risk, AML/CFT transactions, and other broader policy and regulatory concerns such as data protection, data privacy, competition, awareness/education and consumer protection.

- Read More
March 31, 2021
Working group members celebrated for a year of triumphs
March 31, 2021
Working group members celebrated for a year of triumphs
While the COVID-19 pandemic has prevented us from meeting in person over the past 12 months, it also catapulted financial inclusion into the global consciousness for offering one of the few immediate critical solutions as a response to the crisis, as well as towards achieving a m
- Read More
March 3, 2021
AFI’s “agility, flexibility & focus” to guide working groups in 2021
March 3, 2021
AFI’s “agility, flexibility & focus” to guide working groups in 2021
Leaders from AFI’s seven working groups convened virtually on 2 March to discuss last year’s achievements and lessons learnt, planned activities for 2021 and to provide strategy updates.
- Read More
November 16, 2020
AFI members explore central bank digital currency opportunities
November 16, 2020
AFI members explore central bank digital currency opportunities
Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) propelled by broader trends, offer opportunities to accelerate digitization for emerging and developing economies amid COVID-19, speakers said at a virtual event on 12 November.
- Read More
October 21, 2020
DFSWG: 10 years of paving our digital future
October 21, 2020
DFSWG: 10 years of paving our digital future
Of the various pathways explored to accelerate financial inclusion, none have shaped our collective lives more dramatically than digital financial services (DFS).
- Read More
September 9, 2020
Seven working groups hold first virtual convergence
September 9, 2020
Seven working groups hold first virtual convergence
Seven working groups gathered to showcase their progress and achievements over the past year, as the results of AFI’s annual member needs assessment showed that satisfaction with the organization had continued to rise year-on-year.
- Read More
September 3, 2020
Celebrating 10 years of working groups
September 3, 2020
Celebrating 10 years of working groups
September 3rd, 2020 By Maya Taylor, Web Content Writer, AFI Communications  Congratulations to AFI’s pioneering working groups on turning 10 this year! Digital
- Read More
April 28, 2020
DFS: An effective response tool to COVID-19
April 28, 2020
DFS: An effective response tool to COVID-19
We observe the ubiquitous use of digital financial services (DFS) and financial technology as a tool to ensure continuity in essential economic activities and retail transactions, as well as
- Read More
November 6, 2019
E-money policy model launch reveals rigorous policy shaping process
November 6, 2019
E-money policy model launch reveals rigorous policy shaping process
At the 2019 AFI Annual General Meeting, member institutions unanimously ratified the network’s first policy model on electronic money, designed to support the development of an enabling en
- Read More
October 23, 2019
CNBV president highlights youth and “most vulnerable” at JLP opening
October 23, 2019
CNBV president highlights youth and “most vulnerable” at JLP opening
CNBV president highlights youth and “most vulnerable” at JLP opening Mexico’s National Banking and Securities Commission (CNBV) is developing regulations and financial systems that target young people and vulnerable communities as part of efforts to boost financial inclusi
- Read More
September 26, 2019
Policy & regulatory solutions converge at global FinTech dialogue
September 26, 2019
Policy & regulatory solutions converge at global FinTech dialogue
Policy & regulatory solutions converge at global FinTech dialogue Amid a global convergence in policy and regulatory solutions in the financial inclusion and financial technology (FinTech), around 70 senior
- Read More
Newsroom
Working Groups and Regional Initiatives Report 2020

Despite the global pandemic, AFI network members were swift to implement policy responses and leverage the peer learning and knowledge sharing platforms offered
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Digital Financial Literacy

This Guideline Note presents key considerations for regulators and policymakers to understand, develop, facilitate policies and design interventions at advancin
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Innovative Regulatory Approaches Toolkit

This Toolkit aims to help policymakers better navigate the different benefits and risks that different types of innovation facilities can produce.
Read more
Cybersecurity from the Perspective of the Financial Regulator and Supervisors in Peru

Read SPS Peru's five-pillar roadmap on cybersecurity, and how they have been very active in their improve it over the last decade.
Read more
Guideline Note on Data Privacy for Digital Financial Services

Provides complete policy guidance and regulatory framework for data privacy for digital financial services (DP4DFS).
Read more
Consumer Protection for Digital Financial Services: A Survey of the Policy Landscape

Through examples and case studies, this survey report examines the state of regulation of CP4DFS in AFI member countries and provides practical insights for pol
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Digital Financial Services Supervision in Bangladesh

With a vibrant DFS market and a progressive central bank, Bangladesh has much to share with the rest of the world. This case study delves into the evidence-base
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Policy Model on Consumer Protection for Digital Financial Services

The CEMCWG and DFSWG codified key policy guidance from relevant AFI knowledge products developed over the decade, coupled with best practices within the AFI net
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Digital Financial Services (DFS) Working Group 2020 Factsheet

The DFS Working Group develops policy guidelines, conducts peer reviews, and actively engages the DFS industry and global Standard-Setting Bodies (SSBs). Downlo
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Policy Framework for Leveraging Digital Financial Services to Respond to Global Emergencies – Case of COVID-19

This policy framework aims to provide policy guidance to regulators within the AFI network and beyond, in developing relevant policy/regulatory responses to mit
Read more
Lessons on Enhancing Women’s Financial Inclusion Using Digital Financial Services (DFS)

The objective of this study is to underscore the role of DFS (including FinTech solutions) in enhancing and sustaining the access, use and overall quality of fi
Read more
2019 Working Groups and Regional Initiatives Report

This year saw the expansion of the number of Working Groups from six to seven through the addition of the Inclusive Green Finance Working Group (IGF), which lev
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Cybersecurity for financial inclusion: framework & risk guide

The primary purpose of this document is to provide key principles and best practices that will offer guidance to assist regulatory and supervisory authorities i
Read more
Policy framework for women’s financial inclusion using digital financial services

This framework provides guidance to regulators and policymakers of the AFI network and beyond, in leveraging DFS to advance women’s financial inclusion.
Read more
Policy Model for E-Money

The E-Money Policy Model codifies approaches that have been successfully applied within the AFI network into different categories critical to a well-functioning
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