Governments are challenged to make an innovation-friendly climate while simultaneously ensuring that business development remain sustainable. Criminal use of the technology terrorist financing and money laundering challenges long-run business viability via risk of massive investment flight and public distrust of new players entering the market. Sustainable business models are those that base regulation on a careful risk-based analysis. This study identifies the perceived risks and compares them with the actual level of risk for each category of mobile phone financial services. The comparison...

The current financial crisis poses many challenges to all countries and is having a significant impact on economies and societies throughout the world. The need for funds might lower financial institutions' vigilance as to the provenance of those funds. Supervisors also might prudently be focusing on coping with the crisis, affecting their supervision of measures for anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT). It will take increased efforts to ensure that AML/CFT concerns remain a priority for both banks and their supervisors. Effective supervision is central to...

Mobile Money is a booming industry in an increasing number of countries worldwide. The project results from increased demand for guidance and technical assistance from governments after the 2008 publication of an exploratory paper, Integrity in Mobile Phone Financial Services, which discussed mobile money and the application of international anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) standards. For most, how to craft a regulatory regime that expands access to financial services to the poor through the development of mobile phone financial services, but...