Financial Inclusion, Technology and Virtual Banking: A Theoretical Perspective

This book challenges the notion that technology promotes financial inclusion. Drawing insights from the retail banking industry in Hong Kong, it explores the potential drawbacks of technology adoption. The book combines existing articles, regulatory case studies, and interviews with customers and practitioners to propose four factors that measure digital financial inclusion, defined as the impact of technology on financial inclusion, from the customer’s viewpoint. It offers practical guidance by identifying business incentives for banks and providing law and policy recommendations for regulators. This book serves as a valuable resource for scholars, regulators, and practitioners in law and social sciences, shedding light on the complex relationship between technology and financial inclusion while bridging the gap between supply-driven approaches and customer demands.

Sau Wai LAW (Samuel) is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Corporate and Commercial Law at the School of Law at University of Reading, UK. Before becoming an a full-time academic in January 2021, he had more than 14 years of banking experience in Hong Kong, taking up roles in credit risk management, private banking, and strategic planning. He is a trainer, course reviewer, study guide writer, and subject reviewer at Hong Kong Institute of Bankers on the Certified Banker Program and Enhanced Competency Framework in Operational Risk Management and Compliance. He is the author of ＂Banking and Finance Dispute Resolution in Hong Kong: The Suitability of Arbitration in Private Disputes＂. He holds a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Law at University of Hong Kong, B.A. (Hons) in Economics, M.Sc. in Economics for Development, LLB and LLM (Arbitration and Dispute Resolution). His research interests are Dispute Resolution, Banking and Finance Law, Professional Ethics, Risk & Compliance, Financial Inclusion, and Virtual Banking.