Remittances: Development Impact and Future Prospects

Publication of this book is especially important for my country because our economy depends to a large extent on the remittances of overseas workers. We are particularly interested in the new technologies cited by the authors. These technologies would reduce the cost of remitting money to recipient countries and greatly benefit our workers abroad. Kudos to the World Bank for publishing this comprehensive and useful book. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo President, Republic of the Philippines Readers will find his book an enthralling reminder of the indissoluble financial links that bind migrants to their home countries. These financial links need to be encouraged and sustained by supportive macroeconomic policies. Tito Mboweni Governor, Reserve Bank of South Africa An excellent examination of the global remittances policy agenda, Remittances: Development Impact and Future Prospects is a timely and exciting resource for academics, development institutions, central banks, and all policy makers in developed and developing countries. Hernando de Soto President, Institute for Liberty and Democracy New research shows the astonishing scope of remittances, with formally documented flows now estimated at $90 billion for 2003. Globally, remittances now constitute the largest source of financial flows to developing countries after Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), and indeed in many countries they now exceed FDI flows. Remittances explores policy options for enhancing the poverty alleviation impact of remittance money in recipient countries, and addressees concerns about increasing migration and inequality. It looks at new technologies that allow remittance service providers to reduce direct transaction costs and open new channels, enhancing convenience for remitters and improving levels of transparency and accountability for regulators and policy makers. Importantly, it also establishes a baseline for further research and collaborative effort, showing the areas where the international financial institutions, particularly the World Bank, can add value to enhance the positive impact of remittance flows and minimize less welcome effects. Edited by Samuel Munzele Maimbo, who has already published authoritative articles on this subject, and Dilip Ratha, who first revealed the global significance of remittances, this book is intended for remittance service providers, as well as policy makers and researchers interested in financial sector, migration and development issues.