Financial education in the Arab World Strategies, Implementation and Impact. Amphitrite Hotel in Shirat, Rabat, Morocco 20 et 21 octobre, 2016

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1 Financial education in the Arab World Strategies, Implementation and Impact Amphitrite Hotel in Shirat, Rabat, Morocco 20 et 21 octobre, 2016 Agenda (Synthesized) Historically, financial inclusion in the Arab region has been low compared to other World regions. According to the 2014 Global Findex Database, account penetration in the Arab world stands at 29% compared to 69% in East Asia. Reference to these figures, and when excluding the GCC countries, the outreach of formal financial services in the region ranges only at 21%, the lowest worldwide. Furthermore, among developing regions, the Arab region continues to have a particularly large gender gap. Only 9% of women have access to a formal financial institution in the MENA region. Similarly to account ownership, the Arab world lags behind other regions in terms of access to credit from formal financial institutions. With 42% of adults reporting a loan according to the Global Findex survey, but only 5% of them borrowing from a formal financial institution, credit outreach in the region (when excluding GCC countries) is less than half of most other developing regions globally. Furthermore, although small-and-medium enterprises represent 80% of business in the region, only one in five in the region has a loan or line of credit and available financing for MSMEs is almost exclusively working capital. The SME funding gap is largest in the region with about 300% increase of credit required to close the finding gap (versus 7-8% in East Asia and the Pacific). Available figures suggest that there is a great potential to expand financial inclusion in the Arab world. Existing datasets on financial inclusion, be it on demand or supply, all point towards the same analysis in terms of the relative position of countries and regions compared one to another. The levels of financial inclusion in the region are the result of an unserved demand as the population resorts to informal financial management tools, as an alternative to inexistent or unsuitable formal financial services. In response to this challenge, policymakers across the region have begun prioritizing financial inclusion through, inter alia, developing national strategies, creating incentives for financial service providers to downscale, developing new financing mechanisms, and improving regulatory and supervisory frameworks underpinning inclusive finance. In this context, financial consumer protection and financial education have become a topic of interest to both policy-makers and financial services providers. In recent years the Arab region region has seen a variety of programs launched by financial service providers, public authorities, and non-governmental organizations aimed at enhancing financial education of low-income consumers. Yet, little knowledge has been shared across the region regarding the efficiency or impact of such programs in fostering improved financial behavior, in better protecting clients, or in increasing usage of formal financial services. Similarly, programs are often piloted in isolation of each other, with little cross-country konwledge sharing to share best practice and to leverage existing resources.

2 This conference will bring together practitioners, researchers, and high-level government authorities to share emerging best practices on developing financially capable communities in the Arab region. The event will present recent empirical evidence on financial education, share best practices of country-level programs, and discuss broader linkages between financial education and economic inclusiveness and development. Emphasis will be placed on assessing efficiency and impact of financial education programs and on ways to develop a regional framework for practical action moving forward. 2

3 Day 1 20 October Master of ceremony: Mme Nezha Saadani, Moroccan National Foundation for Financial Education (M- NFEF) Time Topic REGISTRATION AND NETWORKING COFFEE OPENING REMARKS & INTRODUCTION Mohamed Boussaid, Minister of Economy and Finance Abdellatif Jouahri, Governor of Bank Al-Maghrib and President of FMEF Abdulrahman A. Al Hamidy, Director General Chairman of the Board, AMF Marie Francoise Marie Nelly, Country Director, Maghreb Region, World Bank 09:50 10:10 KEY NOTE SPEECH Setting the scene: Introductory speech on financial education in the Arab World PLENARY SESSION I: THE THREE PILLARS OF FINANCIAL INCLUSION The objective of this session is to provide an analytical framework on the importance of financial inclusion to broader economic development goals in the MENA region. The session will serve as an opportunity for participants to gain a common understanding of the theory and empirical evidence surrounding inclusive finance in the MENA region. Specific reference will be placed on the linkages to financial inclusion and employment, income generation, poverty reduction, and transversal linkages to productive investment outcomes including health and education. The panel will also introduce the role of financial education, consumer protection, and industry standards as key pillar of promoting inclusive finance in the region. This session will provide an overview of empirical evidence linking financial education to financial sector development including stability and inclusion. The session will also present recent data and trends in financial inclusion in the MENA region, including opportunities and challenges across the region COFFEE BREAK PLENARY SESSION II: BOTTOM UP AND TOP DOWN: HOW TO ADDRESS FINANCIAL EDUCATION IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY Governments and public authorities in the MENA region willing to implement financial education policies however face a series of challenges. Against this background, the establishment of coordinated and tailored strategies at national level is among the most promising means to efficiently meet the financial literacy needs of the population and co-opt interested stakeholders while avoiding duplication of resources and efforts. The panel discussion intends to: Provide an overview of financial education policies, national strategies and main challenges in the Arab world based on existing evidence, maybe also examples from countries outside the region (?) Discuss the role of different stakeholders and how to promote cooperation and identify common objectives Present and discuss available policy tools, and research that can support governments and public authorities in the region in the design and implementation of these initiatives LUNCH 3

4 14:00-14:15 INTRODUCTION TO THE MARKET PLACE (8 parallel market place stalls, 1 round is 30 min) SAVINGS AND PAYMENTS Role of financial education for savings and payments mobilization Recent empirical research stresses the importance of savings and payments for the vulnerable to help households manage cash flow spikes and smooth consumption, as well as build working capital. This is particularly true given the vast majority of the working poor operate in the informal sector and are often outside of business regulations or social protection mechanisms to mitigate economic shocks. This session will provide an overview of effective strategies to promote savings and payments, with particular reference to entry points from both the supply (provider) and demand (opportunities and constraints at the client level) side. The session will present emerging models at mobilizing savings amongst youth, with particular reference to financial education and technologybased platforms MICRO TO SMALL ENTERPRISE Running small businesses successfully: Financial education for MSMEs, taking account of sectorial approaches This session will focus on financial education for micro- and small entrepreneurs, in line with a wide scope of application of the term financial education, encompassing the financial management of micro- and small enterprises. Thus the session will discuss - Good practices of small and microbusiness financial management - Experiences and good practices for conveying the good practices mentioned above - Institutional arrangements and strategies INSURANCE Insurance Financial Education Green/ Sustainable Finance GENDER FINANCIAL EDUCATION Effective financial education initiatives for women The panel discussion intends to focus on the following objectives: - Highlight current challenges. - Elaborate differences between financial education for women and other target groups - Sharing successful examples for women financial education including specific results obtained (impact, outreach, etc.) within and outside the MENA region - Key takeaways Reflection what the learnings could imply for national programs / strategies in the MENA region How to reach women who do not read or read well How to take into account the financial knowledge needs of women that practice IGA (incomegenerating activities) Sensitizing the audience of the relevance YOUTH Building a solid knowledge basis: Financial education for the youth / young people Young adults have amongst the lowest levels of financial literacy. Even from an early age, children need to develop the skills to help choose between different career and education options and manage any discretionary funds they may have, whether EDUCATION AND MIGRATION The role of financial education for migrants and refugees The panel discussion intends to focus on the following objectives: - Share experiences in the region on financial education initiatives for migrants/refugees - Show good and successful approaches from outside the region BEHAVIORAL FINANCE Designing effective financial education programs: edutainment, behavioral finance, and heuristics There is an increasing recognition of the role of psychological and social influences on individual behavior and the associated impact DIGITAL FINANCIAL SERVICES Digital financial education The session will cover the following: - Develop presentation and hand-outs focusing on existing innovative digital financial services models and marketspecific approaches to roll-out or upgrade them in the market. - Present case studies/success stories from financial institutions that 4

5 from allowances or part time jobs, and to effectively deal with their exposure to financial services. This is particularly relevant in the Arab World given the high proportion of young people in the overall population and especially their high levels of unemployment (unemployment rate is 3.7 times higher than for adults). Equipping young people with key financial competencies can support their financial resilience and can also spur their entrepreneurship skills supporting in turn MSMEs development. Financial education for youth can be efficiently provided through the education system, as early as in kindergarten in some economies, or outside of schools harnessing other teachable moments. In either case, resources should be tailored to the age and needs of the audience, and teachers should receive appropriate training and resources. - Key takeaways: Enhance understanding for the differences and needs of this specific target group Get or develop answers for important questions on the topic Develop new ideas on development outcomes. Recent findings from many disciplines, including neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, and behavior, can be used to help explain decisions that individuals make in personal financial management, including savings, investment, and crisis management. The session intends to provide an overview of recent findings in behavioral finance and its impact on financial education program and policies. The session will also ddiscuss effective programs and policies regarding edutainment, interactive learning platforms, and alternative delivery channels for delivering financial education. successfully implemented digital financial services. The examples will be broad and varied, yet will clearly connect to the present context in the MENA Region. - Moderate a question and answer session in conclusion of the presentation Coffee break. During the break, the Master of ceremony will synthetize and draw up a summary of minutes reported from all the market places PLENARY SESSION III : Reporting back from the market place Introduction to networking / speed-dating activities (1-to-1 meetings) Moderator Nezha Saadani, M-NFEF 16:45-17:30 Speed dating session, 1-to-1 meetings, etc. Moderator Nezha Saadani, M-NFEF :30 COCKTAIL / DINNER 5

6 Day 2 21 October Master of ceremony: Nezha Saadani, NFEF Time Topic NETWORKING RECEPTION COFFEE :20 09:20 10:35 OPENING DAY 2: BRIEF RECAP OF THE 1 ST DAY AND PROGRAM REMINDER Master of ceremony PLENARY SESSION IV: EVIDENCE FROM FINANCIAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN MOROCCO FMEF and Bank Al-Maghrib This session will highlight the Moroccan experience with reference to the approach and programs adopted as well as sharing some lessons learned. The session intends to present: 1) Prerequisites and keys to success of a national financial literacy strategy 2) Focus on best practices 3) Major financial literacy programs 4) Potential impact on the financial capability driven by financial education on the targeted population. 10: COFFEE BREAK PLENARY SESSION V: FINANCIAL CONSUMER PROTECTION WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF REGULATORS AND INDUSTRY? The objectives of this session are to present principles of a robust consumer protection framework and highlight country-level examples operationalizing this framework, particularly as it pertains to countries across the Middle East and North Africa Region. Key pillars of a robust consumer protection framework will be discussed, including institutional arrangements and coordination, supervisory approaches, and various supervisory tools and techniques. The role of financial capability as part of a robust consumer protection framework will be discussed. Specific country case studies will be highlighted to demonstrate practical application of consumer protection regimes. The session will also present various international platforms to advance consumer protection policy, including the G20 high level principles on financial consumer protection developed in conjunction with the OECD. 12:15-12:45 Speech with the focus on: AMF - How financial education and financial consumer protection can boost financial inclusion - Next steps 12:45 13: :30 LUNCH CLOSING SESSION AND NEXT STEPS Yisr Barnieh, Chief Financial Market Division, AMF CLOSING REMARKS Abdellatif Jouahri, Governor of Bank Al-Maghrib and President of FMEF 6