Access to Money Topic of Project
October 2008
A more inclusive financial sector in the Palestinian Territories by increasing sustainable access to financial services for households and micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises is the goal of a project recently awarded to DCS and its partners by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The three-year project – Expanded and Sustained Access to Financial Services – will also involve the Academy for Educational Development (AED) and Shorebank International. DCS is a core partner in implementing this project under the Financial Integration, Economic Leveraging, Broad –Based Dissemination Support Leaders With Associates facility.
DCS will contribute to the goal of enhancing the enabling and regulatory environment by improving the finance curriculum for university-level master’s and undergraduate degree programs, developing the curriculum and building capacity of the Palestinian Institute of Financial and Banking Studies, and assessing the current state of the land registry system and determining the best means of support. Also, along with AED, DCS will provide technical assistance to the Capital Market Authority and the Palestine Monetary Authority to develop and enforce laws and regulations that facilitate the expansion of financial service delivery.
These activities will lead to the more efficient mobilization of financial resources for local investment and risk mitigation, which will fuel the development of a dynamic business sector.
“Supporting economic growth in the West Bank and Gaza that is not only reasonable but also felt by the average man and woman on the street has been deemed as a critical factor sustaining the peace process between the Palestinians and Israelis. WDI is pleased with the prospect of contributing to such a worthy economic cause,” Ayako Ariga, the Project Administrator, said.