Trust in local ambassadors helps encourage mobile banking in rural Peru

In 2015, the Peruvian government introduced measures to address the low levels of financial inclusion in the country by encouraging electronic money platforms. In 2016 the “financially excluded” were targeted for an electronic wallet system but fewer than 1% of household heads in rural and peri-urban communities had activated an account by 2018. A team of local PEP researchers found that actively involving local community members in disseminating information on new technologies is an effective (and cost-effective) way to reach a broad audience and encourage uptake.
Find out more about the research methods, findings and policy recommendations in the following PEP publications: