Presentations (chronological)
- ‘Financial Inclusion in the Pacific Goes Global’ [Turin, Italy, July 30th]. M-banking, accessing financial services over the mobile phone, is one of the cutting edge developments in the field of financial inclusion, and burgeoning developments in the Pacific are now being watched by practitioners around the world. At the Boulder Institute of Microfinance in Turin, Italy, Mike McCaffrey, Technical Specialist with the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) gave a presentation on initiatives in the Pacific to 325 microfinance practitioners from over 85 countries. In his presentation, "M-money in the Middle of the Ocean", he explained, "When most people think about the Pacific, they picture a paradise of tropical islands, but what does not occur to them are the challenges the fragmented geography presents for providing lost cost access to financial services. For this reason, PFIP has supported the development of mobile phone based technologies that can provide financial services to people around the Pacific at very low costs." Click on this link for the presentation, M-Money in the Middle of the Ocean: http://www.pfip.org/media-centre/press-releases/financial-inclusion-in-pacific-goes-global.html
- ‘PFIP Flash News: Financial Inclusion for Fijian Bankers’. On April 27, 2010, The Fijian Institute of Bankers held an evening lecture on Financial Inclusion in Fiji, opened by the Regional CEO of ANZ Bank, Norman Wilson. The talk begun by reviewing contemporary research on the impact of microcredit and microfinance on poverty and the well being of clients, noting that some of the recent findings have shown decreased investment in microenterprises and no impact on well-being after the provision of microfinance. The discussion then moved to some of the revelations from the newly released book, Portfolios of the Poor, which offers some wonderful insight into how low income people manage their money, and therefore leverage microfinance products to help cope with their poverty. The presentation ended by relating these revelations and findings to the current situation of financial inclusion in Fiji and noted opportunities for significantly improving the situation.
Presentation: "Financial Inclusion In Fiji: Impacts and Opportunities" by Mike McCaffrey, Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) can be accessed here.
- ‘Pacific Renewable Energy and Microfinance (PREM)’ On April 12 – 13th, 2010, The Foundation for Development Cooperation conducted the second phase of the “Pacific Renewable Energy and Microfinance Project (PREM) which was the Fiji In-Country Market Needs Analysis Training” in Suva, Fiji with funding from REEEP. The event begun with a review of the concepts in the first phase, and then The Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) taught two modules on providing loans for renewable energy and energy efficiency products. The first session focused on the process of designing the actual loan product, and the second concentrated on monitoring and evaluating the product once it had been launched. The event was well attended by teams from three of the local microfinance institutions, as well as a large Fijian credit union. PFIP plans to repeat these training in the future for interested financial service providers in Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands.
‘Renewable Energy Loan Design.’ Mike McCaffrey, Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP).
‘Internal Monitoring & Evaluation’. Denise Fischer, Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP).
- ‘Mobile Phone Banking To Take Off In Samoa’, Till Bruett, Pacific Financial Inclusion Advisor, 2010. On January 22, 2010, commercial banks, microfinance institutions, telecoms, civil society organisations, government officials and donor agencies gathered in Apia, Samoa, to learn more about what mobile banking can offer to the island nation. This presentation gives a brief outline of the Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme's (PFIPs) activities in the Samoa and the Pacific over the coming months.
- ‘Microinsurance Information Exchange (PNG)’, Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme, 2009. On Tuesday November 17, 2009, The Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (AFIP) in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the PNG Institute of National Affairs (INA), hosted an information exchange focused on microinsurance. The purpose of this informal information exchange was to evaluate the greatest impediments to and opportunities for microinsurance in Papua New Guinea.
- ‘Prospects of Mobile Money in the Pacific’, Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme, 2009. On Tuesday December 1st, The Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme (PFIP) in coordination with Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI) hosted an information exchange focused on mobile money at the Heritage Hotel in Honiara. Mobile money is broad term that refers to a range of financial services that can be offered across the mobile phone. The purpose of this informal information exchange was to gather those that have the potential to catalyze the development of mobile money in Solomon Islands. CBSI Governor Denton Rarawa opened the event with a speech on the importance of financial inclusion in Solomon Islands, and Tillman Bruett, PFIP Project Advisor, then gave the presentation on mobile money. The event was attended by representatives from CBSI, commercial banks, donor agencies, and civil society organizations.
- ‘Pacific Microfinance Week 2009 Presentations’, Microfinance Pasifika Network, 2009. The Pacific Microfinance Week 2009 help in Nadi, Fiji brough together more than 150 microfinance and financial sector practitioners, experts, policy makers, academics and regulators drawn from more than 15 countries from across the Pacific and beyond for a week-long series of events, discussions, meetings and gatherings. Outlines of each days programs and presentations are provided. Currently in FDC Archives.
- ‘Pacific Microfinance Week 2007 Presentations’, Microfinance Pasifika Network, 2007. The Pacific Microfinance Week 2007 held in Port Moresby brought together more than 130 microfinance and financial sector practitioners, experts, policy makers, academics and regulators drawn from more than 20 countries from across the Pacific and beyond for a week-long series of events, discussions, meetings and gatherings. The objective of the event was to exchange knowledge and ideas on how to further promote financial inclusion across the Pacific region. Currently in FDC Archives.
- ‘Our Experience in Fiji and Banking the Unbanked in the Pacific’, by Carolyn Blacklock. This presentation outlines what the ANZ Fiji Rural banking program is and how it operates. It outlines where they are heading with the program, as well as the UNDP-Private Sector Partnership which is aimed at financial literacy for all and the creation of a vibrant rural economy.
- ‘Speech by Mr. Loi Bakani - Deputy Governor, Policy and Regulation, At the Launch of Lae Branch of Wau Microbank’, 2005. This speech was given by Mr Loi Bakani on the 22nd April 2005 at the opening of the Lae Branch of the Wau Microbank. In his speech Mr Bakani speaks of the importance of financial development activities in Papua New Guinea and how the Bank of Papua New Guinea is acting to support the development of financial and capital markets in PNG. The objectives of the PNG-ADB Microfinance and Employment Project is briefly discussed, as well as the banks activities in developing an appropriate regulatory and supervisory regime to monitor MFIs.