Informal Funds Transfer Systems An Analysis of the Informal Hawala System

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, there has been increased public interest in informal funds transfer (IFT) systems. This paper examines the informal hawala system, an IFT system found predominantly in the Middle East and South Asia. The paper examines the historical and socioeconom...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: El Qorchi, Mohammed
Other Authors: Maimbo, Samuel, Wilson, John
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Washington, D.C. International Monetary Fund 2003
Series:Occasional Papers
Online Access:
Collection: International Monetary Fund - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
Description
Summary:Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, there has been increased public interest in informal funds transfer (IFT) systems. This paper examines the informal hawala system, an IFT system found predominantly in the Middle East and South Asia. The paper examines the historical and socioeconomic context within which the hawala has evolved, the operational features that make it susceptible to potential financial abuse, the fiscal and monetary implications for hawala-remitting and hawala-recipient countries, and current regulatory and supervisory responses
Physical Description:64 pages
ISBN:9781589062269