This note examines the implications of digital innovation for market structure and attendant policies, including financial and competition regulation. There have been several surveys of regulatory responses. This note takes a step back, to look at what the economic theory of banking and...

Many Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries, including Guinea-Bissau, lack the requisite enabling environment to capture a larger fraction of the global digital economy or benefit from its gains and are thus at increasing risk of being left behind. Rapid digital transformation is reshaping the...

Authorities in Mexico are seeking solutions to the complex task of improving efficiency in the financial and government sectors when identifying individuals and legal entities, while balancing other public-policy objectives, such as governance, technological neutrality, safety, privacy, and...

Madagascar is an island nation located in the Indian Ocean off the south-eastern coast of Africa, and the fourth-largest island in the world. Despite the country's extensive economic opportunities and expansive natural resources, real GDP per capita is one of the lowest in the world. This...

Myanmar has experienced a series of total and partial internet shutdowns since the military coup in February 2021. These restrictions have varied in intensity across the country and over time, ranging from the complete shutdown of all wireless broadband services and nightly shutdowns of fixed...

This report provides a region-wide analysis on the status of the digital economy in South Asia. It identifies opportunities and challenges for national and regional action to realize the transformational potential of digitalizing economies, societies, and governments. The report synthesizes and...

The report presents both the opportunities of and the bottlenecks for furthering the digital agenda. It emphasizes that the first step is to get the basics right. This includes enabling access to and adoption of high-quality affordable broadband, initiating a paradigm shift in building digital...

This policy note highlights the important benefits that digital government can bring to a country's government and people. Specifically, it states the rationale for digital government transformation in Vietnam and lays out the what and how of a prioritization and sequencing strategy that can...

Governments are increasingly seeking opportunities to leverage digital technologies to build a greener future. This guidance note provides useful advice to policy makers underlining adequate leadership and commitment are crucial to implement coordinated GovTech and Green policies. The climate...

Conglomeration has traditionally been prevalent in Asia, a trend that is currently exacerbated by the characteristics of digital markets. While conglomerates offer important benefits, from economies of scale and diversification to the development of new products, they can also have a negative...