MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Reserve Bank of Fiji to Take Microfinance “Expos” to Rural Islands

Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF), the nation’s central banking authority, has announced plans to take microfinance expos to the outer rural islands Fiji in an effort to raise awareness of microfinance and promote greater financial inclusion.

RBF will host a series of one-day sessions that will include displays by for-profit organizations, donors, civil society groups and government ministries. There will also be presentations on microfinance, small and medium-sized enterprises, banking services and financial literacy. The sessions are focused on improving the livelihoods of the rural and unbanked sectors of the population.

Acting Governor Barry Whiteside of RBF said, “the expos presented an opportunity for people in these areas to meet and gather information from representatives of commercial banks, insurance companies, mobile phone network operators, Government departments, microfinance institutions and donor organisations [1].”

By: Alexandra Pattee, Research Associate

About The Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF): Established in 1983, the Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) is the nation’s central banking authority. RBF’s statutory authority includes the following: to regulate the financial sector, to promote monetary stability and to foster balanced macroeconomic development of the country as a whole. As of May 2010 it had total assets of USD 1.26 billion. There is no information available on the number of banks that RBF oversees.

Sources and Resources:

[1] The Fiji Times, “Finance players go rural”, http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=168528

MicroCapital.org Article, September 21, 2010, “Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ Bank) to Start Microfinance Center in Fiji”, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-australia-and-new-zealand-banking-group-anz-bank-to-start-microfinance-center-in-fiji/

MicroCapital.org Article, September 7, 2010, “South Pacific Business Development Foundation of Samoa to Open Microfinance Institution in Fiji”, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-south-pacific-business-development-foundation-of-samoa-to-open-microfinance-institution-in-fiji/

MicroCapital.org Article, June 30, 2010, “International Finance Corporation (IFC) and IFC Capitalization Fund Agree to Invest $140m in Bank South Pacific (BSP) of Papua New Guinea to Extend Financial Services in Pacific Islands”, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-international-finance-corporation-ifc-and-ifc-capitalization-fund-agree-to-invest-140m-in-bank-south-pacific-bsp-of-papua-new-guinea-to-extend-financial-services-in-pacific-is/

MicroCapital.org Article, July 29, 2010, “All Commercial Banks in Fiji Establish ‘Microfinance Units'”, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-all-commercial-banks-in-fiji-establish-%E2%80%9Cmicrofinance-units%E2%80%9D/

MicroCapital.org Article, June 25, 2010, “Vodafone Launches M-PAiSA Mobile Money Transfer Service in Fiji”, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-vodafone-launches-m-paisa-mobile-money-transfer-service-in-fiji/

MicroCapital.org Article, June 8, 2010, “The United Nations’ Pacific Financial Inclusion Program (PFIP) Releases Fiji Financial Services Sector Assessment Calling for Expansion of Microfinance Sector, Especially Through the Development of Accessible Savings Services”, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-the-united-nations-pacifi?

MicroCapital.org Article, April 27, 2010, “Reserve Bank of Fiji Announces Progress Made on Establishing Microfinance Units within Commercial Banks”, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-reserve-bank-of-fiji-announces-progress-made-on-establishing-microfinance-units-within-commercial-banks/

MicroCapital.org Article, February 25, 2010, “Reserve Bank of Fiji Creates National Financial Inclusion Taskforce to Increase Access to Financial Services Including Microfinance”, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-reserve-bank-of-fiji-creates-national-financial-inclusion-taskforce-to-increase-access-to-financial-services-including-microfinance/

MicroCapital.org Article, January 5, 2010, “Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBF) Changes Guidelines for Financial Sector, Including Microfinance”, https://www.microcapital.org/microcapital-brief-reserve-bank-of-fiji-rbf-changes-guidelines-for-financial-sector-including-microfinance/

MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe: Reserve Bank of Fiji, https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Reserve+Bank+of+Fiji+%28RBF%29

Browse the MicroCapital Universe and add your entry to the wiki https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/

Similar Posts: