申論題

一、英翻中
1. Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/02/rural-banks-can-accelerate-financial-inclusion-in-southeast-asia

With more than 660 Million people living in Southeast Asia, this culturally rich and diverse region is considered as one of the fastest growing regions in the world with a projected GDP of $4.7 trillion by 2025.

As many experts have noted, the region's financial services industry is ripe for financial innovation and evolution. But as of 2019, at least 70% of the consumers remain 'unbanked' and 'underbanked' and 70% of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) still prefer to accept cash payments.

Individuals and SMEs are still adjusting to the different financial technology, or fintech, solutions being offered in banking, credit, payments and remittances - a trend which accelerated due to the pandemic. Financial inclusion is still at the forefront of different initiatives in the region with the raise of digital banks offering a wide range of financial services and other banking-as-a-service (BaaS) solutions.

However, one key segment that is rarely talked about is how fintech firms can join with traditional rural banks to significantly improve the financial inclusion in the region.