Despite its proven benefits, take-up and continued usage of digital financial services (DFS) lags in many low- and middle-income countries. Though this challenge is multifaceted, the cost of using DFS, particularly mobile money, is a key barrier. Despite its importance, little has been done to systematically measure and monitor the true costs consumers face when conducting DFS transactions, including official fees, extra informal charges, and non-monetary costs such as failed transactions.
The Institute of Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) in collaboration with the School of Graduate Studies, University of Ghana, universities of Lund, Gothenburg and Uppsala is organizing a ‘Methodology and Field Studies in Development Research School’ for doctoral researchers in Ghana. The research school deals with sustainable development and poverty reduction in low-income countries, with a particular focus on governance, power, and inequality.
Prof. Peter Quartey and MTN Group’s Mr. Ebenezer Asante foster an enriching dialogue on the economic impact of MTN in Africa and potential collaborative opportunities with academia, moderated by ReFinD Project Director Adadzewa Otoo.
The Teacher Capacity Building for Play-based Early Learning in Ghana and Sierra Leone project has unveiled key outputs shedding light on the state of early childhood education in Ghana. The initial outputs, comprising two policy briefs and a comprehensive quantitative study report also share evidence-backed recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness and outcomes of play-based learning (PBL).
From impactful research projects to transformative training programs and informative stakeholder engagement activities, 2023 was an eventful year as we persistently worked towards the national development agenda. This Year in Review takes a retrospective look at the accomplishments and engagements of the ISSER community over the past year.
Welcome to the ISSER 4th quarter 2023 newsletter. The key highlights of the period include a media engagement on the 2024 budget statement, a development dialogue on Ghana’s public debt management, and the launch of the 2022 edition of the State of the Ghanaian Economy Report (SGER), the 32nd edition of the respected annual report by ISSER.
Participants included researchers, and representatives from government agencies, development organisations and NGOs, making for enriching discussions.