NSU Research Contributions

Title : The ICT-led Financial Inclusion and Economic Growth Nexus in Bangladesh

Authors : Khairul Alom, Sharif Nurul Ahkam, Ashique Mahmood Adnan

Abstract : In this study, we have used both Internet and mobile connections as the indicator of information and communication technology (ICT) penetration to test if greater financial inclusion play role in economic development. We also tested if the interaction effect between these two factors positively impacted the economic activities in Bangladesh for the period 1992 to 2020. We relied on regression analysis and we found that internet penetration combined with mobile technology has a significant and positive impact on the financial development of the country. Unlike some other reported results, we found that the state of development of the stock market and the size of bank reserves may not play a significant role. This conclusion is probably valid for small economies in the emerging and frontier markets. The incorporation of interaction between the various explanatory variables is unique in ICT-Inclusion-development literature, and we conclude that mobile penetration itself does not contribute much to the growth. Rather, Internet-enabled mobile connections appear to play a significant role. The results offer a clear policy recommendation: the investment in the facilitation of greater diffusion of the Internet and Internet-enabled mobile access should continue to bolster financial activities and sustainable growth.

Journal : Journal of Knowledge Globalization	Volume : 14	Year : 2022	Issue : 1
Pages : 35-59	City :	Edition :	Editors :
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