article · Asian Journal of Empirical Research
This empirical investigation examines the impact of financial technology on financial access in Cameroon. Using an autoregressive distributed lag technique, the research evaluates financial access metrics alongside banking technology indicators, specifically the depth of automated teller machines drawn from international datasets. The findings demonstrate a long-term cointegration relationship between the adoption of financial technology and broader financial access. In the short term, technology adoption exerts a positive effect on financial access up to the third lag. Over the long term, the presence and expansion of financial technology continue to show a statistically significant positive effect on financial access across the country. The findings suggest a need for policy initiatives to support technology deployment alongside public education programmes regarding safe financial service usage.
Expanding financial access is critical for economic participation and development. By confirming that technological tools such as automated teller machines improve access both immediately and over time, this evidence supports the design of targeted financial policies. It highlights the importance of combining technology rollouts with educational initiatives to ensure consumers can access and use digital financial services safely.
The abstract does not indicate a direct commercial application pathway, as it focuses on macroeconomic and policy analysis. However, the findings provide macro-level evidence that could inform digital banking providers and telecommunications operators expanding automated banking infrastructure, such as teller machines, in Cameroon. The research represents early-stage empirical analysis intended primarily for policymakers and financial sector strategists rather than a specific deployable product.
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This empirical study aims to investigate the relationship between financial technology (FinTech) and financial access in Cameroon. With the increasing adoption of financial technology in the financial service sectors, it is essential to determine whether the use of these technologies has a significant impact on financial access. Methodologically, to appraise the link between FinTech and financial access, the study applied the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) technique. Data related to financial access were obtained from the Financial Development and Structural Dataset, while bank technological-related data, such as the Depth of Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), were obtained from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) database. The ARDL Bounds Test results make a substantive contribution to the scholarly discourse by empirically affirming the existence of a long-term cointegration relationship between FinTech and financial access. The outcome shows that in the short run, FinTech has a positive effect on financial access up to the third lag, and the long-run outcome equally confirms a positive and significant effect of FinTech on financial access in Cameroon. In terms of policy recommendations, policymakers should implement programs that incorporate initiatives to promote FinTech, while consumers need to learn about the benefits of FinTech and how to use FinTech services safely.
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DOI: 10.55493/5004.v15i1.5337
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