Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar said on Wednesday that any money-saving scheme of the mobile financial services (MFS) providers would be popular and acceptable services in the country.
"One scheme that I would particularly like to see involves creating money-saving benefits," he told a seminar on "Role of MFS in Enhancing Financial Inclusion in Bangladesh" at a city hotel.
Innovation and Development Associates (iDEA) Foundation organised the event to discuss the role and significance of MFS.
The minister said the mainstream banks could not break the shackles towards financial inclusion for common people, but the MFS is playing an amazing role in the financial management.
Emphasising on the need for keeping the system where people can save money, the minister said the people's participation will be much richer with this addition.
He said the government could manage to bring almost 98 per cent of the country under the 4G facilities and praised the telecom companies for making their efforts in this regard.
Mohammad Shahidul Haque, Secretary of iDEA Foundation and former Senior Secretary, delivered the welcome address while Vice Chairman of the Foundation and former Principal Secretary and Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs) Md. Abul Kalam Azad moderated the open discussion.
Taking part in the discussion, Md. Mezbaul Haque, Executive Director of Bangladesh Bank, said that Bangladesh can be called the world champion in mobile banking services.
"The biggest achievement of this service is making financial transactions accessible and easy to people from all walks of life, especially people from remote areas who are deprived of banking facilities," he said.
Kazi M. Aminul Islam, Chairperson of iDEA Foundation, concluded the seminar by saying, the keynote study discusses how affordable financial services can facilitate economic growth in developing countries like Bangladesh.
