The World Bank has been made aware that over the past few days homes have been visited by survey teams producing World Bank identification. These are staff from Gallup Inc. working through its local partner, Elite Institute, conducting a survey for the Global Findex database of the World Bank. The Global Findex database is the world’s most comprehensive database on financial inclusion. It provides data on how individuals save, borrow, make payments and manage risks based on nationally representative surveys in over 140 countries. This year the World Bank Findex database will include Maldives for the first time to better understand the financial needs of its people. The World Bank is working closely with the Government of Maldives’ National Bureau of Statistics on this survey.
The Findex questionnaire is internationally standardized and typically covers questions on access to financial services. This is a survey that is carried out in many countries. More information can be accessed below: https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/globalfindex.
It has been brought to World Bank’s attention, that while conducting this survey the agency staff have been posing questions which are beyond the scope of the Findex questionnaire. These questions are in fact part of a separate survey being conducted by Gallup, which is not supported by the World Bank. These may have included questions which are political in nature. The World Bank has raised the issue with the concerned agencies and they have agreed to drop these questions as part of this exercise.
The World Bank regrets any inconvenience/discomfort that these unintended questions may have posed.
