Three Emerging Technologies that Will Change the World
I was speaking with a friend the other night about his great grandfather. His great grandfather was born in 1875. He lived until 1965. Can you imagine the technology that this man saw come online? Let me name a few: the typewriter, the electric dental drill, the telephone, the phonograph, the incandescent light bulb, the hearing aid, the electric fan, the dishwasher, the escalator, the airplane, the Model T automobile, the air conditioner, the defibrillator, the atomic bomb, the electric guitar, the nuclear submarine, nylon, the polio vaccine, and the laser. He died right when the first minicomputer was coming to fruition. All of that in the span of his lifetime. Which leads me to the topic of this article. Technology has completely changed the way we live. And technological advances have accelerated at unbelievable speeds. Technology is converging in ways no one could have foreseen. I want to highlight some of the most interesting technologies out there. These are technologies that will change the world, for good and bad.Nano TechnologyProbably the most interesting and frightening of the emerging technologies is nano technology. Nano technology is a cross disciplinary field that deals with building and synthesizing materials at scales of 100nm or less. Nano technology usually works in one of two ways. It either pulls smaller parts together to build or it breaks bigger parts down. The parts are then used to form smaller, new materials. But why is nano technology so important?Nano technology is important because it will have massive effects across every area of life. As I write this, researchers are working on a nano particle to target cancer cells in lungs. In 2004, Rice University tested gold nano particle cancer treatment. In this treatment, these 150 nanometer gold particles were injected into the blood stream of cancerous mice. Gold particles at this size pass into tumors, but not healthy tissue. The researchers then passed infrared through the mice. The tumorous cells absorbed the infrared, heated up, and were destroyed. They are also working on quantum dots that allow doctors to easily identify multiple diseases quickly and accurately. But the uses don’t stop there. Nanotechnology will drive down the scale of electronics. This will lead incredibly small devices. The applications are limitless. And you can bet that the military will be clamoring for nano technology. The military is looking to have numerous nanotechnologies online by the year 2015. Such advances include performance enhancing nanotechnology that aids bodily functions. These will include response times, oxygen use, and heightened senses. But nanotechnology can also be used for reconnaissance and combat. Nanobots could scout areas without being seen. They could also enter into enemies for espionage. They could kill targets from within the host’s body. The possibilities are frightening.Alternative Energy & FuelsWhen gas prices skyrocketed this past year, many people suddenly took an interest in alternative energy and fuels. And because demand rose, companies suddenly found themselves forced to take interest. Most of the common arguments for alternative energy and fuels center around issues of pollution, cost, dependence, and jobs.What most people don’t realize is that alternative energy and fuels always have environmental effects. This can be in the form of heat generation, air pollutants, waste by-products, land usage, extraction, etc. Instead, we have to talk about pros and cons around each type of energy and fuel. There is no silver bullet. Costs, dependence, and jobs also vary depending on the energy type.There are a host of alternative energies being tested. Wind powered energy plants are already in place in many parts of the world. Solar energy production has taken huge steps forward with the help of nano technology. One such company is Nanosolar. Nanosolar is producing solar cells that are 100 times thinner than conventional cells. Not only are the cells cheaper to produce, but they also convert the solar energy much more efficiently. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) uses the temperature differences in the ocean layers to produce energy. And OTEC can utilize this colder water (36 degree F cooler) in other things like on shore agriculture and refrigeration. And the list goes on.Massive interest was generated in alternative fuels this past year when gas prices hit record levels. New developments in battery technology could help. One such development is Millennium Cell’s hydrogen battery technology. This technology differs greatly from traditional rechargeable batteries in that it’s instantly rechargeable. It also has a much great efficiency for energy conversion, so it is much smaller and lighter. There is also greater reuse efficiency since you don’t need to replace the entire battery. You only need to replace the energy module. Developments are continuing in biodiesel, electric, hydrogen, methanol, etc. I think there could be some serious future synergy between nano technology and alternative energy.”Bionetics”This is my name for the incorporation of technology into the body. The dermal display is a great indication of things to come. Though I have yet to find a working demo version of this concept, I have no doubt that it will become a reality. The display would be driven by millions of nanobots. These nanobots would display light when touched. This would print a display onto your hand, or wherever the nanobot display would be housed. And this is where it gets really interesting. The display nanobots would be connected to millions of other fixed and mobile nanobots throughout the patient’s body. This would give instant readings on hundreds of vital statistics. Again, nanotechnology plays a strong role here.The bionics revolution is already underway. There have been four major cases of robotic limbs recently, the latest being a woman. The robotic limbs take advantage of the functional nerve endings in the limb stump. These nerve endings are used to actuate the robotic limb and to provide feedback to the brain. More money is being poured into robotic limbs every year.”Functional bionetics” are implants that enhance our lives. And you may be surprised to know that people are actively doing this as I write. People are inserting tiny electronics in their bodies that will unlock their front doors and their cars. The same technology is being used to unlock computers. But it doesn’t stop there. There is talk of implanting devices that will carry health information. You could be carted into a hospital totally unconscious and they would be able to access all of your past medical history. Most of this is done through RFID technology.”Bionetic networks” will be networks of connected bionetic devices. This would allow people to share sensation, feelings, and communication. If this sounds completely fictional, I invite you to consider the work of Kevin Warwick, Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, England. He has implanted an extra-sensory device that interfaces with one put in his wife. They were implanted in their arms. The first experiments are aimed at exchanging sensory inputs, like pain. The hope is to extend that to other, more complicated neurological processes like thoughts and emotion. Obviously, that would drastically change relationships and indeed the world. Forget about your teens text messaging, maybe they will be brain linking in the future. Now that’s really scary!What will we be able to say came online in our lifetimes? I’m sure we could already list a lot of important technologies. But keep your eyes out for these emerging technologies. They are set to change the rules of our world. These technologies will upset economies, change military tactics, empower people, and be used to control others. Keep an eye on them.
SEO Packages: Ensure Maximum Traffic to Your Website
In this competitive online business world, it is getting very difficult to overcome the stiff competition. And this competition is getting stiffer due to the launch of so many new sites daily. Among these sites, there will be some sites which will never make any impact and always languish far behind the leaders. The reason: the owners of these sites are not aware about the importance of availing SEO packages from a reliable SEO company. But many offshore companies understand the importance of availing customized packages from reputed SEO companies.They know search engine optimization is the best method to get top ranking for specific keywords on major search engines. Thus, SEO outsourcing has become a major trend in the current scenario as most companies want to attract customers and increase their sales. And the best part is that they get a chance to concentrate on their core competencies. Another reason to opt for SEO services is that they don’t have time and resource to do this expert job of search engine optimization.Hiring best SEO packages from trusted SEO companies can do wonders for your business. In fact, a SEO Company has so many packages to offer. Some of the popular SEO packages are SEO ranking packages, social media marketing packages, Article submission packages, Link building packages, SEO mini packages, dedicated SEO packages and so on. Choosing dedicated package is the most appropriate method for various offshore companies looking for professional SEO consultancy. Full time dedicated SEO consultant or experts will work as per your guidelines so that you can get top ranking on various search engines for specific keywords.Always avail SEO packages that suit your business interest the most. Most SEO consultants and SEO experts have been trained to strategically place back links and post articles, blogs and press releases to optimize sites successfully. Many people try to do the work of search engine optimization on their own but usually end up wasting countless hours and then they realize that they were making fruitless efforts. If you are not well informed, or don’t have any previous SEO experience, then you should probably leave the work to the SEO professionals or dedicated SEO experts. And make sure that the company you are hiring uses white hat SEO strategies. Also pay special attention to the duration of time they will take to provide you the desired results on major search engines for specific keywords. Tell them what you expect for your online business. By choosing the right SEO packages from a reliable SEO company, your business will become more profitable and successful.To end with it can be said that offshore companies or any business owners who want to optimize their site to achieve top rankings for specific keywords should avail best SEO packages from reliable SEO companies. These companies have dedicated SEO consultants who are well adept in using unique strategies and techniques to optimize your website successfully.
Quick Auto Insurance – How Long Before I’m Insured
Motorists are generally responsible to have insurance on their car, but the true cost of car insurance is far higher than what you will find from an instant auto insurance quote. Obtaining an insurance quote can be as easy as a phone call to various companies, an Internet inquiry, or talking directly with your current insurance agent.Personal Information NeededGetting your instant auto insurance quote requires answering questions regarding your driving history. The agent will need to know the coverage you want. He or she will also need some personal information for any drivers who live in your household.
All driver’s names, driver’s license number, birth date, sex, and marital status
Driving history, for each person, including moving violations and accidents with date’s
Mileage each person drives
Year of vehicle
Cost of vehicle
Vehicle identification number
Special safety featuresThere are several important decisions you need to make regarding auto insurance before obtaining a quote. This includes the types of coverage you want, the amount of coverage you need, and researching the requirements in your state. The following gives you some basic information about obtaining an instant auto insurance quote from any company.
Liability
Collision
GAP
Comprehensive
Uninsured and Underinsured MotoristLiability Auto Insurance CoverageEach state has their own laws and regulations as to the types and amounts of coverage, which they require drivers to obtain. For most states, the minimum coverage is liability. Liability only covers property damages or personal injuries that are the drivers fault. Liability insurance does not cover damages to your own vehicle if you are at fault and in most cases to passengers in your auto.Before you drive your auto off the lot, it is important and usually mandatory, to have acceptable liability insurance. In some states, it is illegal for anyone to drive an auto without coverage, even if they have coverage on their own vehicle. You can receive an instant auto insurance quote, pay the first premium, and drive only from the time the liability coverage begins.Collision Auto Insurance CoverageCollision is generally a requirement of your lender when you purchase auto insurance, and this coverage names them as a lienholder. This means if you have an accident that totals your vehicle, then they receive payment first. This does not always cover the full price of your auto, even if you just drove it off the lot. It is necessary for you to pay your deductible before the insurance company releases their portion.GAP CoverageThe GAP coverage protects you from the difference between what you owe on your vehicle and what the collision coverage will pay. This is significant to stress when you obtain your auto insurance quote. GAP coverage is definitely consequential when you purchase a new vehicle. Otherwise, you can be responsible for thousands of dollars and have no vehicle.Comprehensive Auto Insurance CoverageMany lenders require you have comprehensive insurance. Comprehensive will pay for theft or damage to your car from vandalism, flooding, fires, and even striking a deer. For most people, this is a standard part of their insurance coverage.Auto Insurance Coverage for Uninsured and Underinsured MotoristUnfortunately, it is all too often that a driver does not have enough damage to cover you, your family, or your passengers. In order to be fully covered it is safest to obtain both types of insurance coverage. Sometimes the cost of a lengthy hospital stay can easily extend beyond the coverage the other person’s insurance will pay.There are many other options for insurance coverage. Your agent can give their recommendations for what coverage is optimal for you. An agent will need to ask questions to help determine what company can give you the foremost coverage for the least money. As you are discussing coverage, they will not discriminate in on things like race, religion, occupation, or place of residence.Thingsto Know about Auto InsuranceAs you can see auto insurance coverage is very intricate, so you obtain what you need, while staying within your budget. Being a safe driver does help reduce the cost of your insurance. It can take many years of receiving a ticket or being in an accident before your costs begin reducing. Safe drivers who have no tickets have the ability to obtain the most coverage for the least amount of money.If you have never had insurance before or have been on someone else’s insurance as long as you have no tickets, accidents, or outstanding insurance claims getting an instant auto insurance quote can be quite simple. However, for those who fall into a higher risk, your insurance agent will be able to recommend ways for you to save costs while having the best coverage.If you have left out a speeding ticket, your quote can be lower initially, than if you remember to tell them that you received a ticket. The problem can be that if you pay a lesser amount, you will be responsible to pay the difference, but they can cancel the coverage.Additionally, the insurance company can cancel your insurance if they normally do not insure other drivers who had the same problem. Furthermore, the cancellation will make it difficult to get insurance from another insurance company. The information you give does determine your premium, and if the company will consider underwriting the coverage. Some discounts can apply depending on where you park the vehicle, average miles you drive, and any safety features.Soliciting competitive quotes is essential to receiving the best price possible. Each insurance company has their own underwriting rules and rates. Spending time doing the necessary research can save you hundreds of dollars. However, some websites are set up to distribute your information to various insurance companies so you might not receive the instant auto insurance quote you are looking for at the time.Read over some review of various companies, especially those who give you very low quotes. Some seem like a good choice initially, but have drastic increases when it comes time for renewal. Some companies sell insurance directly to consumers, and others sell through local agents. The more you know the better your decision can be when you receive an instant auto insurance quote if you have any questions, a qualified agent can help you right away.
How to Overcome Employee Resistance to Time Tracking Software
A key tool for eliminating much of the transactional, manual activities related to payroll is time tracking software. The American Payroll Association (APA) estimates that 7 minutes is spent entering each employee timesheet, and more time is wasted tracking down late submissions and fixing timesheet errors. But historically, people have been resistant to time tracking, for a number of reasons:
They can’t remember to do it.
They find it tedious watching the clock and reporting their hours.
They feel it’s intrusive and takes too much time away from their real work.
The time management software interface is not intuitive or easy to use.
They can’t access their time tracking software on the road or in the field.
Fortunately, time tracking software is changing, and new cloud-based solutions make access and use easier than ever. Many time management offerings have mobile apps that can be used to log time over a smartphone or other mobile device, while on the road or in the field. And time tracking software interfaces are getting friendlier, too. Despite all this progress, overcoming resistance among employees may require additional tactics.Educate employees on why they’re doing itIf you bill clients for your hours, this one’s easy. Without good tracking software, it’s harder to get paid for all the time you spend on a project. Many clients will want to see a list of time spent on various activities before they write a check. If you don’t get paid, employees won’t stay employed for long. Explain that the livelihood of the company and all of its employees depends on accurate time tracking and management.If you’re using time management software for project costing, you’ll have to explain to your employees that it’s needed to account for time spent completing project activities. Inaccurate time tracking can lead to unnecessary overtime, bad planning, exceeding the budget, or cancelling the project.Send Email RemindersMany time management software solutions provide automated email reminders to users to fill out, submit or approve timesheets. This feature virtually eliminates the need to personally contact or “chase down” employees regarding late timesheet submissions or delayed approvals. And, it removes worry from the user’s mind, since they don’t have to remember to do it on their own.Account for time spent on projects and tasksKeeping track of how much time people spend on various tasks encourages productivity and is a great tool for employee reviews. If employees understand that you’ll be using time tracking software in their evaluations, they’ll be motivated to fill out timesheets with accuracy and consistency.Provide IncentivesUsing bonuses or other perks as incentives, or creating healthy competition among office teams, is a positive way to enforce consistent, complete data collection of any kind, and can be used for time tracking as well. Try offering a free lunch to the team that consistently turns in timesheets on time for a fiscal quarter, or hand out gift cards to employees that have no errors on their timesheets for a month. This method doesn’t just encourage camaraderie among co-workers, it rewards them for being conscientious, and its fun!
What are anti-ligature blinds?
Anti-ligature blinds are becoming increasingly popular in a range of different settings. The way these blinds differ from traditional blinds is that they are designed to prevent suicide by hanging.
Initially, uptake for this type of blind was largely restricted to high-risk environments such as psychiatric hospitals and prisons, where suicide is common. In mental health environments and detention centres, suicide via hanging is common and preventative measures must be implemented. A huge range of objects could be used to create a ligature point, meaning anti-ligature systems are highly important.
Over the years, anti-ligature blinds have been supplied to hospitals, schools, student accommodation and even hotels.
How do they work?
There are a range of different systems on the market, but the most reliable could well be the magnetic anti-ligature system. YewdaleKestrel® products utilise load release magnets which separate when a downward force is exerted on the product. This means that the product falls to the ground safely and prevents suicide via hanging.
The magnetic systems used in Yewdale’s products are highly reliable because magnets don’t lose their strength for hundreds of years, guaranteeing a lifetime of lifesaving functionality.
Anti-ligature blinds usually have a magnetic connection point above the blind’s barrel. The blind is easy to reconnect to the magnetic bracket after it has fallen to the floor.
If you are considering an anti-ligature blind, Yewdale is a highly recommended company. Based in the UK, Yewdale produce a wide range of anti-ligature products, commercial blinds, and healthcare products including hospital cubicle tracks and medical curtains.
Yewdale produce other anti-ligature products too including a soft, lightweight en-suite door and other accessories such as soap dispensers, toilet roll holder, shelves and artwork. You can see the full range on the website using the link below.
Complete weight loss strategy
For those who want to lose weight
Research on the causes of obesity, knowledge about weight loss, and various diets for weight loss are updated every year. However, with the update of knowledge and the release of diet pills one after another, the obesity rate continues to rise every year, and there is no sign of wanting to decline. I used to be very, very fat, and I am also a person who is prone to obesity.
So I understand the voices of fat people, I really want to lose weight, but I tried many ways to lose weight at that time without success.
I have tried the common boiled meals on the market, eating less and moving more, but it was not until I tried other diets that I managed to lose weight. After I lost weight, I began to study the essence and method of losing weight, and wrote him in this weight loss strategy article, hoping to help you.
A few key myths about losing weight
The weight loss myth of eating less and moving more
The phrase “eat less and move more” is actually true, but most people do it wrong. Many people think that they should eat less of everything, so they limit their calories to a very low level, and it feels a bit like eating an ultra-low-calorie fairy meal. Then, for the hyperactive part, the first thing that everyone thinks of is aerobic exercise such as running, cycling, etc., but in fact, this is a very short-term and easy way to regain weight, mainly because eating too little is an easy way to lose weight. The reason for the loss of muscle mass, coupled with the fact that aerobic training is not helpful for muscle mass growth, causes the metabolism to drop too much.
Maybe you can lose 5 kilograms in this way, but if your metabolism declines, you will easily regain the weight. And it’s all the fat that gets back up, not the muscle you lose that makes you look fatter than before. This is what we call the yo-yo effect, lose weight, get fat back, get fatter than before, lose weight, get back on Fat, get fatter than before.
Stop taking diet pills and meal replacements
At this time, you may start to seek other ways, eat weight loss meal replacements, taking diet pills, and so on. But believe me, most diet pills will inevitably hurt the body, especially the gastrointestinal tract. You may actually lose weight in the moment, but when your gastrointestinal tract is damaged, you will be fatter than before.
The key to understanding how to lose weight
You must have thought, why some people will not gain weight no matter what they eat, while some people will gain a kilogram the next day after eating a little bread? What is the cause of obesity? This is not a simple answer that can be solved!
You can see the link to the picture below, mainly talking about the influencing factors of obesity, which are very, very complicated.
Image source: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/296290/obesity-map-full-hi-res.pdf
In the middle of this picture is the heat balance
So we can know that calorie balance is very important
But this article doesn’t keep preaching that calorie balance is the key to losing weight like other sites
If you don’t know what calorie balance is, you can probably imagine that our body has calorie consumption (exercise, thermogenesis, basal metabolism), and calorie intake (eating).
When calorie consumption exceeds calorie intake, the weight will drop, so the truth of weight loss is to eat less and move more, very simple. In the short term, it is really possible to simply achieve weight loss by eating less and moving more, but simplicity is not simple, because the operation of the body is very complicated. Many people think that they can control their calorie consumption, that they can achieve a lot of calorie expenditure by running all the time, and that eating fairy meals (low-calorie meals) can reduce calorie intake and then easily lose it.
However, according to research, 90% of people who use calorie control, eat less and move more to lose weight will fail or regain the weight.
Because eating less and moving more for too long, metabolism will easily drop, hormones will easily become imbalanced, and muscle mass will easily be lost. Even if you lose 10 kilograms, you will easily regain weight.
When losing weight, the body is like a factory
For me, the key to long-term weight loss and maintaining good posture is the environment in the body, such as hormones, the level of inflammation in the body, and the gastrointestinal system.
Think of the body as a factory
-Your hormones are the managers and workers of factory operations
-Inflamed condition is how good factory machinery and hardware are
-Calorie intake is wages for factories as well as fuel
If the manager of this factory is an idiot, or if the hardware in your factory is completely rotten, then no matter how it works, it will create a pile of waste. Just as our hormones are already out of balance and the level of inflammation in the body is very high, no matter how much you eat, if you don’t solve the existing problems, it will easily accumulate into fat. It may be easier to understand with a few examples.
Hormones vs Weight Loss
This study looked at the effects of sleep and weight loss
Research source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20921542
Both groups of humans were calorie-restricted, but one group slept 5.5 hours a night and the other 8.5 hours. Both groups lost weight, but the group that slept less lost 55 percent less body fat and 65 percent more muscle mass than the group that slept more. It is equivalent to losing weight, but most of the loss is muscle mass, which reduces metabolism and makes it easy to regain weight later.
There is such a big difference mainly because poor sleep has a negative impact. The imbalance of the secretion of these things will easily increase fat and reduce muscle.
This next study looks at the effect of insulin sensitivity on body composition!
Research source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19471290
Basically, many chronic metabolic diseases, obesity, and poor muscle-building effects are closely related to low insulin sensitivity. Insulin is an anti-catabolic hormone whose main function is to store nutrients in cells. For example, after heavy training, our muscles will be more sensitive to insulin, and the nutrients we eat will be more easily absorbed into the muscles. When insulin sensitivity is low, the nutrients we eat are more likely to be stored as fat rather than absorbed into muscles.
We can simply say that the nutrients in the food eaten by people who are insulin insensitive are more likely to be stored as fat, and the relative fat mass will be much higher than the muscle mass.
To put it simply, the key to losing weight is actually to improve hormones, improve inflammation in the body, and add an appropriate calorie deficit. It is not difficult to achieve a calorie deficit. What is more difficult is how to choose the type of food that suits your body to improve hormones and achieve a long-term good body.
If you only pursue short-term weight loss and rely on a lot of calorie deficits to achieve the effect of weight loss, and then the hormones are still the same after the loss, then I can guarantee that you will gain weight very easily.
With so many ways to eat on the internet, which diet should I try?
When talking about losing weight in Taiwan 30 years ago, everyone would definitely want to use boiled meals
When it came to losing weight five years ago, everyone might think of using a low-sugar diet. When it came to losing weight in the past two or three years, everyone might directly think of the ketogenic diet.
I lost 30kg in 3 months on a low-sugar diet myself for the first time, so I used to believe that a low-sugar diet was the best way to lose weight
But after my long-term understanding of weight loss-related research, genetic cognition, and observation of students, there is no diet that is most suitable for everyone! Although it is said that high-carbohydrate foods will most stimulate insulin secretion, which in turn promotes the storage of nutrients into fat, some people are naturally good at metabolizing carbohydrates, so they can still be healthy and strong after eating high-carbohydrate throughout their lives.
For example, this study compared the responses of people with high and low insulin sensitivity to high- and low-carb diets.
Research source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2005.79
The study concluded:
-For people with high insulin sensitivity, eating high-carb and low-fat to lose weight is very helpful
-However, people who are insulin insensitive use a high-carb low-fat diet to lose fat, but the weight loss effect is not so good.
But on the contrary, studies have also shown that people with low insulin sensitivity have a very good weight loss effect on a low-carb high-fat diet, which shows that improving insulin is very important for weight loss, and it also shows that people with insulin insensitivity are more suitable
Lose weight with a high-carb diet.
So if you have been obese for a long time, you know that you eat carbohydrates easily, or you know that you have diabetes in your family and want to lose fat, then I would suggest that you can start by reducing carbohydrates, which is what we call low carb diet!
The Negative Impact of E-Levy on Mobile Banking.
DEFINITION OF TERMS
Mobile Banking is a service provided by a bank or other financial institution that allows its customers to conduct financial transactions remotely using a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet.
Electronic Transaction Levy or “E-Levy” is a tax applied on transactions made on electronic or digital platforms.
ADVANTAGES OF MOBILE BANKING
Mobile banking offers numerous benefits such as ease of transaction, convenience, time-saving, managing your finances, and budgeting. Some advantages of Mobile Banking in remote areas include:
Financial Inclusion — mobile banking offers convenient and easy banking services to people in remote areas. Thus, it allows banking on the go and offers all benefits of a banking system to rural areas without the presence of a financial institution.
Accessing the bank 24/7 — Mobile banking provides ubiquitous banking services without the need to visit the bank to have access to services. This offers time to benefit and ease of transacting at a distance.
Cost-benefit — Mobile banking saves the banks the cost of building physical infrastructures (branches) and maintaining branches and staff. Also, reduced costs on the customer side since the burden of visiting the bank for services is eliminated.
Improving resilience in the face of poverty — Mobile money acts as both a savings vehicle and a means of transferring funds during times of economic or environmental shocks.
Strengthening the formal economy — For many micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), opening a mobile money account can facilitate access to formal financial services. Mobile money is well placed to address the issue of informality that blights many developing economies and hampers domestic resource mobilization efforts. Mobile Money enables ease of transacting, thus increasing business profits for MSMEs.
Facilitating economic growth — Mobile money has been shown to contribute to economic growth by increasing both productivity and per capita incomes
DISADVANTAGES OF E-LEVY ON MOBILE BANKING
The design of mobile money taxation policy appears to be the antithesis of a well-designed tax system. The disadvantages include:
Inequity — Mobile money taxes as currently structured to create inequity in the tax system. As the tax is mostly borne by the poor and users of the services are subject to additional taxation (unlike bank or cash transactions), the principles of both horizontal and vertical equity in the tax system are contravened.
Uncertainty -. Uncertainty and lack of transparency over taxation systems can have a direct impact on the operations of the tax authority, increasing enforcement costs, as well as discouraging investment.
Inconvenience — The administration of mobile money transaction taxes creates an inconvenience for MMPs who must calculate and collect the tax on the revenue authority’s behalf. There is an additional inconvenience for users of the service for whom remote digital transactions become more expensive or out of reach if they revert back to cash.
Inefficiency — Badly designed mobile money taxes have been shown to have a distortionary impact on demand for mobile money services. This in turn has had negative impacts on overall tax takes, as well as impacting the attainment of national economic and development goals.
EFFECT OF MOBILE BANKING — CASE STUDIES
The decision to impose taxes on mobile bank transactions will trigger so many problems.
Ghana — According to The Fourth Estate Ghana; Although the government projects a 24% decline in transactions when the levy is finally implemented, preliminary findings published by the bank of Ghana indicate the value of mobile money transactions had dropped by 3.2 billion in December 2021, less than 2 months after the proposal to introduce E-levy.
Uganda — An e-levy of 1% introduced in 2018 has led to an overall drop in the person-to-person transaction by more than 50%, and a 24% drop in industry transactions within the same year the tax was introduced according to a report by Global system for mobile communication (GSMA).
Congo — An e-levy of 1% was introduced in 2019. The government had to reverse the tax on cash outs only due to negative results of the levy on Mobile money users such as a decline in mobile money agents (unemployment) and high-value withdrawals by people.
Other countries include Benin (5%) and Cameroun (0.2%). In all these countries, the e-levy has imposed a negative effect on the economy and people. If we want to ensure the financial inclusion of people in rural areas, we need to ensure that we encourage mobile banking by withdrawing the e-levy tax.
Reference:
https://thefourthestategh.com/2022/03/16/e-levy-this-is-what-happened-when-other-african-countries-passed-it/
Purohit, S., & Arora, R. (2021). The benefits and challenges of mobile banking at the Bottom of the pyramid. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business and Government Vol, 27(1).
Charles G. Kpan, Jr. is an Information Technologist with over 5 years of experience in the provision of Information Technology Services and an emphasis on Web Development and Visual Branding. He’s the managing Director of CYGEC IT SOLUTIONS INC. and holds a bachelor’s Degree in Information Technology from Blue Crest University, Liberia.