January 28, 2019.-  How can the new technologies be used to improve public and financial services with greater transparency and data integrity? That was the key question promoted by the seminar “Disruptive Technologies for Financial and Government Services,” held in Brazil last January.

During the seminar, experts from international development banks and the United Nations Study Group on ITC discussed the application of Blockchain and DLT (Distributed Ledger Technology) in the public and financial sectors, drawing attention to the contributions they have made toward increasing data transparency and integrity.

ALIDE Secretary General, Edgardo Alvarez, made a presentation during the discussion, in which he explained the advances made by the region’s development banks in their digital transformation processes and described some successful experiences in that area.

Blockchain for Development is a joint initiative of Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social (BNDES), Brazil’s Development Bank, the International Intelligence Unit of FGV, the Getulio Vargas Foundation, the ITU, the specialized United Nations organization for Information Technology and Communication, and Anatel, the Brazilian Telecommunication Agency.

Institutional Links
During his visit to Brazil, the Secretary General met with Joaquim Levy, President of BMDES; Leonardo Botelho, Head of its Financial Division Department; and Selmo Aronovich, Superintendent of the Financial Area. He also talked with Luis Dias Reis, ABDE Professional Development Manager, and Andrej Slivnik, from the Economic Studies Management Division.