MasterCard (NYSE:MA) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have recently signed a keystone agreement, as announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to work together in an effort to improve economic inclusion, transparency and financial formalization through the expansion of electronic payments in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

The five-year public-private partnership is intended to enhance access to information and promote the transition to electronic payment services in the region, which can help reduce transaction costs and increase the efficiency of financial disbursements. Replacing cash-based systems for electronic ones also can potentially reduce leakages, increasing the likelihood that payments and benefits end up in the hands of intended beneficiaries and recipients, helping to improve the lives of the underserved.