This Seminar, held on 11 April 2025, was co-hosted by FinCoNet and the OECD.
A keynote address was delivered by Mr Thomas Marois, Professor of Political Economy in the Department of Political Science and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Public Banking at McMaster University, Canada and formerly a Reader in Development Studies, SOAS University of London.
The first panel focused on basic bank accounts, which can be mandated or offered voluntarily by financial institutions, and are intended to serve unbanked or underbanked people to bring them into the financial system. This panel featured countries’ experiences with basic bank accounts and efforts to improve the quality of the products offered. The second panel explored government-backed initiatives beyond mandating basic bank accounts, such as subsidies, investments in financial infrastructure, and public provision of financial products, that aim to ensure access to financial products and services that offer good value-for-money and are provided on fair terms.
